Q^^ 


UNIVERSITY  OF  N.C.  AT  CHAPEL  HILL 


' 


00025764557 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2012  with  funding  from 

University  of  North  Carolina  at  Chapel  Hil 


http://archive.org/details/ourlittleswisscoOOwade 


C~^ 


Our   Little   Swiss   Cousin 


The  Little  Cousin  Series 

Each  volume  illustrated  with  six  or  more  full-page  plates 

in  tint.     Cloth,  i2mo,  with  decorative  cover, 

per  volume,  60  cents. 

J* 
LIST   OF   TITLES 

By  Mary  Hazelton  Wade  (unless  otherwise  indicated) 

Our  Little  African  Cousin 
Our  Little  Armenian  Cousin 
Our  Little  Brown  Cousin 


Our  Little  Canadian  Cousin 

By  Elizabeth  R.  Macdonald 
Our  Little  Chinese  Cousin 

By  Isaac  Taylor  Headland 
Our  Little  Cuban  Cousin 
Our  Little  Dutch  Cousin 

By  Blanche  McManus 
Our  Little  English  Cousin 

By  Blanche  McManus 
Our  Little  Eskimo  Cousin 
Our  Little  French  Cousin 

By  Blanche  McManus 
Our  Little  German  Cousin 
Our  Little  Hawaiian  Cousin 
Our  Little  Indian  Cousin 
Our  Little  Irish  Cousin 
Our  Little  Italian  Cousin 


Our  Little  Japanese  Cousin 
Our  Little  Jewish  Cousin 

Our  Little  Korean  Cousin 

By  H.  Lee  M.  Pike 

Our  Little  Mexican  Cousin 

By  Edward  C.   Butler 

Our  Little  Norwegian  Cousin 

Our  Little  Panama  Cousin 

By  H.  Lee  M.  Pike 

Our  Little  Philippine  Cousin 
Our  Little  Porto  Rican  Cousin 
Our  Little  Russian  Cousin 

Our  Little  Scotch  Cousin 

By  Blanche  McManus 

Our  Little  Siamese  Cousin 

Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 

By  Mary  F.  Nixon-Roulet 

Our  Little  Swedish  Cousin 

By  Claire  M.  Coburn 

Our  Little  Swiss  Cousin 
Our  Little  Turkish  Cousin 


L.  C.  PAGE  &  COMPANY 


New  England  Building, 


Boston,  Mass* 


CARL. 


{  Our  Little  Swiss  f 
*  .  * 

1  Cousin  f 


* 

* 


By 

Mary  Hazelton  Wade 


Illustrated  by 

L.  J.   Bridgman 


Boston 
L.  C.  Page  &  Company 

MDCCCCIII 


.* 


* 

* 


Copyright,  igog 
By  L.  C.  Page  &  Company 

(incorporated) 


All  rights  reserved 


Published,  July,   1903 
Fourth  Impression,  December,  1906 


Colonial  ^xees 

Electrotyped  and  Printed  by  C.  H.  Simonds  &  Co. 

Boston,  Mass.,  U.S.A. 


Preface 

In  the  very  heart  of  Europe  lies  a  small 
country  nestling  among  the  mountains.  It  is 
unlike  any  other  in  the  world.  Its  people 
speak  four  different  languages  ;  they  believe  in 
different  religions  ;  the  government  is  not  alike 
in  different  parts ;  yet  the  Swiss  states  are 
bound  together  by  a  bond  stronger  than  unity 
of  language  or  creed  can  possibly  make. 

Our  brave  Swiss  cousins  believe  in  liberty 
for  all  and  brotherly  love.  These  make  the 
most  powerful  of  ties. 

In  their  mountains  and  valleys  they  have 
fought  against  the  enemies  who  would  have 
destroyed  them,  and  the  tyrants  who  would 
have  made  them  slaves.  They  have  driven 
out  their  foes  again  and  again,  for  their  cause 


vi  Preface 

was  noble  and  unselfish,  and  to-day  the  repub- 
lic formed  by  them  can  teach  other  countries 
many  wise  and  worthy  lessons. 

How  the  stories  of  William  Tell  and  Arnold 
von  Winkelried  stir  our  hearts  whenever  we 
hear  them  repeated !  These  were  only  two 
of  many  heroes  who  have  made  the  country 
famous  for  its  bravery  and  unselfishness. 

Surely  we  shall  be  glad  to  turn  our  minds 
for  a  while  to  its  fertile  valleys,  beautiful  lakes, 
and  the  noble  mountains  among  which  the 
good  monks  live  with  their  trusty  dogs,  that 
they  may  give  aid  and  comfort  to  unfortunate 
travellers  overtaken  by  cold  and  storm. 


Contents 

CHAPTER 

PAGE 

I. 

Carl's  Holiday 9 

II. 

The  Mountain  Pasture   . 

•      27 

III. 

The  Schoolmaster's  Visit 

43 

IV. 

The  Brave  Archer   . 

5i 

V. 

The  Haymakers 

63 

VI. 

The  Marmot 

76 

VII. 

Glacier  and  Avalanche  . 

92 

VIII. 

Santa  Claus  Night  . 

105 

IX. 

The  Wonderful  Abbey    . 

no 

List   of   Illustrations 

PAGE 

Carl  .......        Frontispiece 

The  Chalet 30 

" '  Following   its   master   about   just   like   a 

dog  ' " 49 

Climbing  the  Matterhorn 79 

"  It  was  a  river  of  solid  ice  ! "         .        .        -95 
On  the  Lake 121 


Our  Little   Swiss   Cousin 


CHAPTER  I. 


CARL  S    HOLIDAY 


"  To-morrow,  to-morrow  !  "  Carl  kept  re- 
peating to  himself. 

He  was  standing  at  the  window  of  the  little 
cottage  and  looking  out  toward  the  great 
mountain.  He  had  lived  under  its  shadow 
all  his  life.  Its  snowy  summit  was  coloured 
a  fiery  red  as  it  stood  against  the  sky  in  the 
sunset  light.  People  in  far-away  lands  would 
give  a  great  deal  to  see  such  a  glorious  sight. 

But  Carl  saw  another  picture  in  his  mind. 
It  was  the  grand  procession  of  the  next  day, 
that  would  celebrate  the  close  of  school  before 
the  summer  vacation.     Thousands  of  children 

9 


io        Our  Little  Swiss  Cousin 

would  march  in  the  line.  They  would  carry 
the  flag  of  Switzerland,  —  the  red  cross  on 
a  white  ground.  It  was  the  emblem  of  their 
country's  freedom,  and  they  loved  it  well. 

There  would  be  bands  of  music ;  there 
would  be  a  speech  by  the  mayor  of  the  city. 
Feasts  would  be  spread,  to  which  all  the  chil- 
dren were  invited.  Yes,  the  glorious  day  was 
near,  and  Carl  was  very  happy. 

"  Carl,  my  boy,  are  you  thinking  of  the 
good  time  to-morrow  ? "  said  a  voice  at  the 
other  side  of  the  room. 

Carl  started,  and,  turning  round,  he  saw  his 
father  standing  in  the  doorway. 

"  O  father,  is  that  you  ?  How  glad  I  am 
to  see  you ! "  and  the  little  boy  rushed  into  the 
good  man's  arms. 

"Yes,  I  am  all  ready  for  the  festival. 
Mother  has  my  best  clothes  laid  out  on  the 
bed.  She  is  planning  to  go,  too,  and  now 
you  are  home  just  in  time  to  go  with  us.      I 


Carl's  Holiday  u 

am  very,  very  glad."  Carl  was  so  excited 
that  he  talked  faster  than  usual. 

"  I  am  tired  of  working  in  a  hotel  in  the 
city,  the  country  is  so  much  pleasanter,"  an- 
swered his  father.  "  And  now  I  shall  spend 
the  summer  with  your  mother  and  you.  The 
people  of  the  village  wish  me  to  take  the  cows 
to  the  mountain  pasture.  You  shall  go,  too, 
and  we  will  have  a  good  time  together." 

"  That  will  be  fine.  I  never  spent  the 
whole  summer  there  before.  How  soon  are 
we  to  start,  father  ?  " 

"  Next  week.  The  days  are  growing  warmer 
and  the  flowers  must  already  be  in  bloom  upon 
the  Alps.  But  now  we  must  see  your  mother 
and  talk  about  to-morrow.  On  my  way  home 
I  heard  in  the  village  that  you  were  going  to 
the  festival.  Nearly  all  the  neighbours  are 
going  too,  aren't  they  ?  " 

At  this  moment  the  door  opened  and  a 
kind-faced  woman  came  in,  bringing  a  pail  of 


12        Our  Little  Swiss  Cousin 

milk  in  each  hand.  Her  eyes  were  as  blue 
as  the  sky,  and  her  hair  was  nearly  as  fair  as 
Carl's.  It  was  easy  to  see  that  she  was  the 
boy's  mother. 

A  happy  smile  lighted  her  face  when  she 
saw  who  was  in  the  room.  It  was  as  much 
a  surprise  to  her  as  it  had  been  to  Carl.  She 
supposed  her  husband  was  still  working  in  the 
big  hotel  at  Lucerne,  where  so  many  strangers 
came  from  other  lands. 

When  her  husband  told  her  of  the  work  he 
had  been  doing,  the  heavy  trunks  which  he 
had  to  lift  till  his  back  had  grown  lame,  her 
face  grew  full  of  pity. 

"  It  was  too  hard  for  you,  Rudolf,"  she 
cried.  "It  is  far  better  for  you  to  take  care 
of  the  cows  this  summer.  We  will  go  with 
you,  Carl  and  I,  and  we  shall  have  a  merry 
time. 

She  moved  quickly  about  the  room  as  she 
strained   the   milk   into   the  crocks  and  made 


Carl's   Holiday  13 

ready  the  simple  supper.  In  a  few  minutes 
the  little  family  gathered  around  the  table. 
There  was  sweet,  fresh  milk  from  the  cows. 
There  was  the  black  rye  bread  which  Carl  had 
been  used  to  eating  all  his  life,  —  indeed,  he 
had  never  seen  white  bread  in  his  home.  Be- 
sides these,  there  was  a  round  cheese,  from 
which  each  one  cut  a  slice  as  he  wished. 

Best  of  all,  there  was  a  sort  of  cake  made 
of  dough  and  chopped  dried  fruits.  Apples 
and  cherries  and  almonds  were  all  mixed  in 
this  cake  and  Carl  thought  it  was  very  nice. 
It  was  put  on  the  table  to-night  in  honour  of 
his  father's  home-coming. 

Night  after  night  Carl  had  a  supper  like  this. 
Morning  after  morning,  the  breakfast  was  the 
same.  The  only  difference  was  that  sometimes 
there  was  the  cake  with  the  dried  fruits. 

Yet  Carl  was  very  happy  and  healthy.  To 
be  sure,  he  had  meat  and  coffee  for  dinner 
only  once  a  week.     This  was  on  Sunday.      It 


14        Our  Little  Swiss  Cousin 

was  no  wonder  that  he  looked  forward  to  that 
day  as  the  best  of  all,  for  it  seemed  a  feast  day 
to  him.  At  the  noon  meal  on  other  days 
there  was  only  soup  or  potatoes  with  the 
bread  and  cheese.  There  was  little  change 
through  the  year  except  at  the  time  when  the 
fruit  and  nuts  were  ripe  and  they  could  be 
eaten  fresh. 

After  the  supper  was  over,  the  family  sat  a 
while  longer  around  the  table  and  talked  about 
the  school  festival.  Carl's  father  had  just 
come  from  Lucerne.  He  told  the  boy  how 
the  buildings  were  decorated.  He  named  the 
bands  that  would  furnish  the  music. 

"  I  am  to  march,  father,"  Carl  said.  "  And 
I  am  to  carry  the  flag  of  my  country.  Chil- 
dren from  all  the  villages  around  the  lake  are 
to  take  part,  I  hear.  Just  think  !  although  we 
are  back  in  the  country,  our  school  has  its 
place  in  the  procession." 

Carl's    mother    showed    her    husband    the 


Carl's  Holiday  15 

bright  red  skirt  that  she  was  going  to  wear. 
It  would  reach  to  the  tops  of  her  shoes. 
There  was  a  white  waist  with  big  sleeves  that 
she  had  starched  and  ironed.  There  was  a 
new  black  bodice  she  had  just  made ;  it 
would  be  laced  about  the  waist,  and  it  fitted 
her  finely.  She  had  polished  the  bands  of 
silver  to  fasten  across  the  back  of  her  head 
above  the  long  braids  of  glossy  hair.  She 
would  certainly  look  very  well  in  her  finery, 
and  her  husband  would  be  proud  of  her.  Oh, 
yes,  that  was  certain. 

What  kind  of  a  hat  would  she  wear  ?  None 
at  all !  There  was  no  need,  and  it  would  be 
a  shame  to  hide  the  silver  bands ;  they  were 
too  pretty.  What  did  it  matter  if  some  of 
the  women  of  Switzerland  dressed  like  the 
people  of  other  lands?  Carl's  mother  was 
not  ready  to  follow  new  fashions  yet  awhile. 
The  old  customs  of  her  village  were  good 
enough  for  her. 


1 6        Our  Little  Swiss  Cousin 

It  was  a  small  room  where  Carl  and  his 
parents  sat  and  talked.  Everything  was  fresh 
and  clean ;  the  floor  had  been  scrubbed  so  that 
no  spot  could  be  seen  upon  it.  The  table  was 
unpainted.  The  chairs  had  straight,  stiff  backs  ; 
no  rocking-chair  or  lounge  had  ever  found  a 
place  here.  Carl's  mother  had  never  rested  her- 
self on  such  a  piece  of  furniture  in  her  life. 

There  was  one  strange-looking  object  in 
the  room.  It  was  large  and  white.  It 
reached  far  up  toward  the  ceiling,  and  was 
made  of  porcelain.  It  was  the  family  stove. 
It  had  belonged  to  Carl's  great-grandfather, 
and  had  stood  in  this  very  place,  summer  and 
winter,  for  a  hundred  years  at  least.  It  would 
not  seem  like  home  without  it. 

When  baby  Carl  was  first  old  enough  to 
notice  things  around  him,  he  used  to  creep  up 
to  the  stove  and  try  to  touch  the  pictures 
painted  on  its  sides.  One  was  the  scene  of 
a  battle  where  the   Swiss  were   driving    their 


Carl's  Holiday  17 

enemies  down  a  mountain.  On  the  other 
side,  a  hunter  was  painted.  He  was  bringing 
home  a  chamois  that  hung  from  his  shoulders. 

When  the  boy  grew  older,  he  used  to  climb 
the  steps  that  led  up  to  the  top  of  the  stove. 
It  was  so  nice  and  warm  there  behind  the  cur- 
tains that  hung  from  the  ceiling  down  to  the 
front  edge.  It  made  a  cosy  little  room  where 
Carl  could  lie  and  warm  himself  after  a  walk 
in  the  winter  air.  Sometimes  the  boy  slept 
there  all  night  long ;  but  that  was  only  in  the 
coldest  weather. 

In  the  daytime  his  mother  often  put  her 
fruit  there  to  dry,  or  perhaps  she  hung  wet 
clothes  there.     It  had  many  uses. 

There  were  no  real  stairs  in  the  house. 
There  was  an  upper  room,  however,  and  when 
a  person  wished  to  enter  it  he  must  first  climb 
on  top  of  the  stove  and  then  pass  through  a 
hole  in  the  ceiling.  It  was  a  strange  way  of 
building  the  house ;  don't  you  think  so  ? 


1 8        Our  Little  Swiss  Cousin 

Perhaps  you  wonder  that  Carl  did  not  get 
burned  when  he  lay  on  top  of  the  stove. 
That  was  because  there  was  never  any  fire  in 
it !  This  probably  seems  the  strangest  thing 
about  it,  but  you  must  understand  that  the 
fire  was  built  in  a  sort  of  furnace  out  in  the 
hall.  The  heat  passed  from  this  furnace  into 
the  porcelain  stove,  so  it  was  not  unpleasantly 
warm  when  one  touched  it. 

After  talking  a  while  with  his  father,  Carl 
climbed  up  to  the  top  of  the  stove,  and  creep- 
ing through  the  hole  in  the  ceiling,  he  entered 
his  bedroom.  He  quickly  said  his  prayers 
and  then  jumped  into  bed.  He  must  get  to 
sleep  as  early  as  possible,  for  he  would  be 
called  before  daybreak.  At  least,  his  mother 
promised  to  call  him,  but  she  did  not  need  to 
do  so,  —  he  was  the  first  one  in  the  house  to 
wake. 

"  Father  !  mother  !  "  he  shouted,  before  the 
clock  cried  "  cuckoo,"  three  times. 


Carl's   Holiday  19 

It  was  none  too  early ;  lights  moving  from 
room  to  room  could  already  be  seen  in  the 
neigbours'  houses.  The  whole  village  was 
astir. 

There  was  a  walk  of  several  miles  for  all 
who  were  going  to  the  celebration.  This  walk 
would  bring  them  to  the  shores  of  the  lake. 
A  steamer  would  be  waiting  at  the  pier  to  take 
them  across  to  the  city  of  Lucerne  on  the 
other  side.  A  party  of  merry  people  moved 
along  the  road  just  as  the  sunrise  coloured  the 
mountain-tops.  Every  one  was  dressed  in  his 
Sunday  best. 

There  were  many  little  girls,  all  in  white, 
their  yellow  hair  hanging  in  long  braids.  Some 
of  them  had  immense  wreaths  of  flowers  or 
laurel  leaves  to  carry  in  the  procession,  but  the 
flags  were  carried  by  the  boys. 

See !  there  is  the  beautiful  lake  just  ahead. 
How  blue  its  waters  are  !  The  shadows  of 
lofty  mountains  can  be  seen  if  you  look  down 


20        Our  Little   Swiss   Cousin 

upon  the  clear  surface.  Brave  men  have  lived 
on  its  shores.  Noble  deeds  have  been  done 
near  by.  Every  Swiss  loves  this  lake,  as  he 
thinks  of  the  history  of  his  country. 

The  little  steamer  was  quickly  loaded  with 
its  gay  passengers,  and  made  its  way  over  the 
waters.  Other  steamers  soon  came  in  sight, 
but  all  were  moving  in  the  same  direction,  — 
toward  the  city  of  Lucerne. 

Such  a  festival  is  not  held  every  year.  Each 
village  generally  celebrates  the  close  of  school 
by  a  picnic  or  steamer-ride.  There  is  usually 
something  pleasant  for  the  children,  but  not 
always  a  time  like  this. 

When  the  day  was  over,  it  was  hard  for  Carl 
to  tell  what  he  had  enjoyed  most.  In  the 
morning,  after  the  children  had  marched  around 
the  city  to  lively  music,  they  went  out  to  a 
large  open  space  where  the  feast  was  served. 
Every  one  had  all  the  coffee  and  cakes  he 
wished.     There   were   many   odd    little  cakes 


Carl's  Holiday  21 

that  only  Swiss  women  know  how  to  make. 
The  children  enjoyed  them  hugely. 

After  the  feast  games  were  played,  and  there 
were  rides  on  the  flying  horses.  You  will 
laugh  when  you  hear  the  name  of  one  of  the 
games.  It  is  "  Blind  Cow."  Carl  is  very 
fond  of  it.  It  is  much  like  our  "  Blind  Man's 
Buff."  Carl  and  his  friend  Franz  chose  one 
corner  of  a  large  field.  Marie,  Franz's  sister, 
and  Freda,  another  little  friend,  were  with 
them.  They  were  soon  joined  by  other  chil- 
dren, and  they  had  a  lively  game. 

Carl  was  the  cow  oftener  than  any  one  else. 
He  didn't  care.  It  was  great  fun  stumbling 
around  with  blinded  eyes,  and  trying  to  catch 
the  others.  When  they  thought  they  were 
quite  safe  and  out  of  reach,  one  of  them  was 
sure  to  laugh  and  show  where  he  was.  Then 
Carl  would  make  a  sudden  spring,  and  catch 
the  laugher. 

Before  the  afternoon  was  over,   the  mayor 


22        Our  Little  Swiss  Cousin 

spoke  to  the  children  about  the  kind  teacher 
who  had  helped  not  only  the  Swiss,  but 
children  all  over  the  world.  That  teacher's 
name  was  Pestalozzi.  Carl  knew  the  story 
well,  but  he  loved  to  hear  it  over  and  over 
again. 

More  than  a  hundred  years  ago  there  was  a 
good  man  who  lived  in  Switzerland  very  near 
Carl's  house.  It  was  a  time  of  war.  Soldiers 
from  other  countries  had  chosen  Switzerland 
for  their  battle-field.  They  took  possession  of 
the  homes  of  the  people.  They  destroyed 
their  crops.  They  ate  their  supplies  of  food. 
The  Swiss  suffered  greatly.  After  these  ene- 
mies had  gone  away,  they  found  themselves 
poor,  and  many  of  them  were  starving. 

Pestalozzi  was  not  a  rich  man,  but  his  heart 
was  filled  with  pity.  He  went  among  the 
poor  and  gave  them  all  he  had.  He  was 
especially  fond  of  the  children.  He  cared 
for  them  as  well   as  he  could ;    he  got  them 


Carl's   Holiday  23 

bread  to  eat  and  clothes  to  wear;  best  of  all, 
he  taught  them  and  kept  their  minds  busy. 
But  at  last  his  money  was  all  spent.  What 
could  he  do  now? 

He  gathered  the  ragged,  hungry  boys 
around  him.  They  had  grown  to  love  him, 
and  were  willing  to  do  anything  he  directed. 
He  showed  them  how  to  sew  and  spin  and  do 
many  other  kinds  of  work.  They  were  soon 
able  to  earn  enough  money  to  support  them- 
selves and  their  school. 

Pestalozzi  did  not  teach  in  the  way  others 
did.     He  said : 

"  It  is  not  enough  for  these  children  to 
study  their  lessons  from  books  and  then  be 
whipped  if  they  do  not  get  them.  They  must 
see  how  real  things  are  ;  they  must  study  from 
objects.  The  living  birds  and  flowers  should 
help  them.  They  must  learn  to  shape  things 
for  themselves,  and  see  as  much  as  possible 
with  their  own  eyes.     Then  they  will  love  to 


24       Our  Little  Swiss  Cousin 

study  ;  they  will  enjoy  their  schools,  and  be 
happiest  when  there." 

He  set  a  new  fashion  for  the  world.  His 
pupils  learned  so  fast  and  well  that  other 
teachers  came  to  watch  and  learn  his  ways. 
His  fame  spread  to  other  countries,  to  Eng- 
land and  America.  They  also  copied  his 
manner  of  teaching.  Not  only  Swiss  chil- 
dren, but  those  of  different  lands,  began  to 
enjoy  their  schools  better.  It  all  came 
about  through  the  kind  and  loving  work 
of  Pestalozzi. 

Carl  has  never  known  of  a  boy  being 
whipped  in  his  school.  Such  a  punishment 
is  seldom  given  in  Switzerland.  The  teacher 
tries  love  and  kindness  first.  If  these  fail,  the 
boy  is  turned  out  of  school.  It  is  a  terrible 
disgrace ;  it  will  follow  the  boy  all  his  life,  and 
he  dreads  it  above  everything. 

After  the  mayor  had  spoken  of  Pestalozzi 
to  the  children,  he  bade  them  be  proud  of  their 


Carls   Holiday  25 

schools  and  their  school-buildings,  which  were 
finer  than  even  the  council-houses.  He  told 
them  to  be  glad  that  all  children  of  Switzer- 
land, no  matter  how  poor  they  were,  could  go 
to  these  schools  and  learn  of  the  great  world 
around  them. 

As  he  spoke,  he  could  see  in  the  faces  of 
thousands  of  little  ones  that  they  were  proud 
indeed. 

Carl  whispered  to  Franz,  who  stood  beside 
him : 

"  There  is  no  country  like  ours,  is  there, 
Franz  ?  We  could  not  be  happy  anywhere 
else,  I'm  sure." 

His  friend  replied,  "  No,  indeed,  Carl.  It 
is  the  home  of  free  men,  and  we  must  grow  up 
to  keep  it  so.  I  don't  care  if  we  do  have  to 
study  for  six  hours  every  school-day.  We 
learn  all  the  faster  and,  besides,  we  have  ever 
so  many  holidays." 

The   best  part  of  the  holiday  came  in  the 


26       Our  Little  Swiss   Cousin 

evening,  for  that  was  the  time  for  fireworks. 
There  was  a  grand  display  on  the  shore  of  the 
lake.  There  were  rockets,  and  Roman  can- 
dles, and  fire-pictures,  and  many  other  beauti- 
ful pieces  which  lighted  the  sky  and  were 
reflected  in  the  waters  of  the  lake.  Many 
of  the  people  watched  the  display  from  the 
decks  of  the  little  steamers,  which  were  also 
bright  with  coloured  lights. 

The  time  came  all  too  soon  for  the  home- 
ward journey. 

"What  a  lovely  time  I've  had,"  sighed 
Carl,  as  he  reached  his  own  door.  "  I  only 
wish  it  were  going  to  be  to-morrow  instead 
of  to-day." 

"  It  was  a  fine  show  indeed,"  said  his  father. 
"  Everybody  looked  well  and  happy.  But  I 
must  say  that  I  liked  the  dress  of  the  people 
of  our  own  village  better  than  that  of  any 
other." 


CHAPTER   II. 

THE    MOUNTAIN    PASTURE 

"  Here,  Carl,  take  this  kettle,  and  you, 
Franz,  may  carry  the  other,"  said  Carl's 
mother. 

It  was  two  days  after  the  school  holiday, 
and  again  the  village  was  astir  before  sunrise. 
There  was  a  great  jingling  of  cow-bells  as  the 
men  and  boys  moved  about  from  farm  to  farm 
and  gathered  the  cattle  together. 

Rudolf  was  to  take  all  the  cows  in  the  vil- 
lage to  the  mountain  pastures  for  the  summer. 
Carl  and  his  friend  Franz  would  help  him  in 
taking  care  of  them.  Carl's  mother  would 
make  the  cheese.  In  the  autumn,  they  would 
bring  the  cows  back  and  divide  the  cheese  ac- 
cording to  the  number  of  cows   each   family 

owned. 

27 


28       Our  Little  Swiss  Cousin 

It  was  a  joyful  time  and  well  deserving  a 
holiday.  Almost  every  one  in  the  village 
would  keep  the  herder  and  his  family  com- 
pany on  his  way  up  the  mountainside.  Their 
food  and  cooking  dishes  must  be  carried ;  the 
cows  must  be  kept  in  the. right  path,  while 
their  friends,  who  were  leaving  them  for 
months,  must  be  cheered   and   kept   in   good 

JfiP  IWrything  was  made  ready.  Brown 
Katze,  the  handsomest  cow  in  the  village,  led 
the  line.  She  tossed  her  head  as  though  she 
could  already  sniff  the  fresh  air  of  the  uplands. 
How  the  bells  jingled  !  What  gay  songs  rang 
out!  Carl  was  a  fine  singer  himself,  and  if 
you  listened  you  could  hear  his  voice  above  all 
the  rest. 

The  procession  at  first  followed  a  narrow 
path  through  the  woods.  There  were  many 
beech  and  chestnut  trees  where  Carl  would  go 
nutting  in  the  fall.     After  a  while  these  were 


The  Mountain  Pasture  29 

left  behind,  and  evergreens  were  the  only  trees 
to  be  seen. 

It  was  already  growing  cooler  and  the  cows 
pushed  onward.  They  seemed  to  know  of 
the  pleasure  before  them,  —  the  sweet  grass 
and  herbs  which  they  would  soon  be  able  to 
eat  to  their  hearts'  content. 

Ah !  the  woods  came  to  an  end  at  last,  and 
the  beautiful  pastures  were  reached, 
nothing  in  the  world  like  them.     II 
der  that  the  cheeses  made  here  are  noted  all 
over  the  world. 

Here  were  thousands  of  the  lovely  Alpine 
roses,  royal  red-purple  in  colour.  Here  too, 
harebells,  violets,  and  pansies  were  growing 
wild.  It  was  difficult  to  walk  without  step- 
ping on  some  delicate,  beautiful  flower. 

The  party  followed  a  narrow  path  through 
the  meadow.  They  soon  came  to  the  little 
cottage  where  Carl  would  pass  the  summer. 
The  building  was  broad  and  low,  and  had  a 


.dJHf 


30       Our  Little  Swiss  Cousin 

wide,  overhanging  roof  on  which  great  rocks 
were  lying,  here  and  there.  They  were  needed 
to  keep  it  from  blowing  off  during  the  hard 
storms  of  the  winter. 

Carl's  father  opened  the  door  and  looked 
carefully  around  to  see  if  everything  had 
remained  safe  since  the  summer  before.  Yes, 
it  was  all  right ;  no  one  would  know  from  the 
appearance  that  people  had  not  been  inside 
the  room  for  eight  months  at  least. 

There  was  the  stove  over  which  the  milk 
would  be  heated  before  it  could  be  made  into 
cheese.  The  rough  table  stood  in  the  corner, 
while  at  the  farther  end  was  a  supply  of  hay  to 
be  used  in  case  the  cattle  had  need  of  it. 

It  was  a  large  room,  but  there  were  many 
low  windows,  so  it  would  be  bright  and  cheer- 
ful when  the  shutters  had  been  taken  down. 
Just  back  of  this  room  was  the  stable,  where 
the  cows  could  find  shelter  at  night. 

Shouldn't  you  think  Carl  would  be  lonely 


THE    CHALET. 


The  Mountain   Pasture  31 

here  ?  No  other  houses  could  be  seen,  no 
matter  in  what  direction  he  turned.  He  might 
not  look  upon  any  human  faces  except  those 
of  Franz  and  his  father  and  mother  for  d^ys  at 
a  time.  In  whatever  way  he  might  turn,  his 
eyes  would  meet  mountains,  —  mountains 
everywhere.  But  he  loved  to  be  here ;  he 
loved  these  mountains  with  all  his  heart. 
They  gave  him  a  feeling  of  freedom  and  of 
strength,  and  he  would  often  say  to  himself: 

"Ah  !  the  good  God  has  given  us  a  wonder- 
ful world  to  live  in,  and  we  are  a  part  of  it  all." 

Day  after  day  of  the  short  summer  Carl  and 
Franz  would  drive  the  cows  higher  and  higher 
in  search  of  new  feeding-grounds.  At  last  they 
would  come  to  the  bare,  brown  rocks  near  the 
summit,  and  they  would  know  that  the  season's 
work  was  nearly  over. 

The  villagers  who  had  come  with  the  family 
had  a  picnic  dinner  at  the  chalet,  as  the  Swiss 
call  a  mountain  cottage  like  Carl's.     Then  a 


32        Our  Little  Swiss  Cousin 

few  songs  were  sung  with  a  hearty  good-will. 
The  time  passed  so  quickly  that  the  people 
came  near  forgetting  how  late  it  was  growing 
when  one  of  the  party,  standing  in  the  door- 
way, heard  the  clock  strike  four. 

"  Good  friends,  we  must  start  homeward  at 
once,"  he  cried.  "  Think  of  the  long  climb 
down  and  the  dark  path  through  the  woods." 

What  a  bustle  and  commotion  there  was 
now  !  What  hearty  hand-shakings  were  given  ! 
Then  away  they  went,  calling  back  from  time 
to  time,  or  blowing  another  farewell  upon  their 
horns  when  they  were  hidden  from  sight  by 
the  trees  below. 

Carl  and  Franz  turned  to  help  Rudolf  in 
the  care  of  the  cows,  for  the  milking  must  be 
done  before  nightfall.  Carl's  mother  made  up 
fresh  beds  from  the  hay  and  put  away  the  pro- 
visions. She  would  soon  have  plenty  to  do 
besides,  for  the  cheese-making  would  be  her 
work. 


The  Mountain   Pasture  33 

"  Carl,"  she  said  to  her  boy  that  night, 
"  you  will  be  old  enough  to  be  a  herder  your- 
self before  long.  In  four  or  five  years  you 
and  Franz  can  bring  the  cows  here  to  pasture 
by  yourselves,  and  do  all  the  work,  too.  You 
must  learn  how  to  make  cheese  this  summer." 

So  it  was  that  the  two  boys  took  their  first 
lessons,  and  before  many  days  they  had  be- 
come good  helpers  inside  the  house  as  well  as 
outdoors. 

They  would  lift  the  great  kettles  of  milk 
and  place  them  over  the  fire  to  heat.  At  just 
the  right  moment,  the  rennet  must  be  put  in 
to  curdle  the  milk  and  separate  the  curds  from 
the  whey.  Now  for  the  beating  with  a  clean 
pine  stick.  Carl's  strong  arms  could  aid  his 
mother  well  in  this  work,  upon  which  the 
goodness  of  the  cheese  depended. 

"  Well  done,"  the  herder's  wife  would  say. 
"  It  is  easy  enough  to  make  cheese  with  two 
such  good  lads  to  help  me." 


34        Our  Little  Swiss  Cousin 

She  was  very  fond  of  Franz,  and  loved  him 
like  a  son.  The  faces  of  both  boys  grew 
bright  when  they  were  praised  like  this,  and 
they  were  all  the  more  eager  to  work.  There 
was  plenty  to  do  yet,  for  the  boiling  and  press- 
ing must  come  next. 

At  last  a  big  mould  was  ready  to  set  away ; 
but  even  now  it  must  be  watched  and  turned, 
day  after  day. 

Carl's  mother  proudly  watched  her  store 
grow  larger  as  the  weeks  passed  by.  Those 
cheeses  would  bring  large  sums  of  money,  — 
at  least,  it  seemed  so  to  her.  But,  of  course, 
the  money  would  be  divided  among  the  dif- 
ferent families,  according  to  the  number  of 
cows  each  sent  to  the  pasture. 

One  morning  as  Carl  was  watching  the  herd, 
he  looked  down  the  mountainside  and  saw 
a  party  of  strangers  coming  up  the  winding 
path.     Then  he  heard  a  voice  call : 

"  Hullo,  hullo,  little  boy  !      Is  your  home 


The  Mountain   Pasture  35 

near  by  ?  And  can  we  get  a  little  something 
to  eat  ?     We  are  very  hungry." 

It  was  a  gentleman  who  spoke  these  words. 
A  lady  and  a  little  girl  about  ten  years  old 
were  with  him.  They  looked  like  Americans. 
Carl  had  seen  many  strangers  from  other 
lands,  and  he  said  to  himself: 

"Yes,  they  must  be  Americans/' 

The  little  girl  was  very  pretty,  and  she  gave 
Carl  a  sweet  smile  when  he  ran  to  help  her 
up  over  a  rough  place. 

"Yes,  sir,  I'm  sure  my  mother  will  welcome 
you,"  said  our  little  Swiss  cousin.  "  There 
she  is,  now."  And  he  pointed  to  the  cottage 
a  short  way  off,  where  his  mother  sat  knitting 
in  the  doorway. 

When  Carl  went  home  to  dinner  an  hour 
afterward,  he  found  the  strangers  still  there. 
They  had  lunched  on  bread  and  cheese  and 
the  rich  sweet  milk,  and  they  declared  they 
had  never  tasted  anything  nicer  in  their  lives. 


36        Our  Little  Swiss  Cousin 

"  Oh,  my  ! "  said  the  little  girl,  "  I  believe 
I  was  never  so  hungry  in  my  life  before." 

"  Carl,"  she  went  on,  for  his  mother  had 
told  her  his  name,  "  do  you  ever  carve  little 
houses  to  look  like  this  one?  If  you  do,  I 
will  ask  my  father  to  buy  one.  He  told  me 
that  Swiss  boys  do  carve  all  sorts  of  things." 

"  I  am  sorry,"  answered  Carl,  "  but  I  never 
did  work  of  that  kind.  Over  to  the  west  of 
us  are  villages  where  every  one  carves.  The 
men  do  so  as  well  as  the  boys.  One  family 
will  make  the  toy  houses  all  their  lives ;  an- 
other will  carve  chamois  and  nothing  else ; 
still  another  will  cut  out  toy  cows.  But  we 
in  our  village  have  other  work." 

"  But  why  don't  the  wood-carvers  change  ? 
I  should  think  they  would  get  tired  of  always 
doing  the  same  thing,"  said  Ruth,  for  this  was 
the  child's  name. 

"  I  suppose  they  never  think  about  it.  It 
is  hard  work  living  among  these  mountains  of 


The  Mountain   Pasture  37 

ours.  People  wish  to  earn  all  they  can,  and 
if  one  makes  the  same  kind  of  thing,  over  and 
over  again,  he  learns  how  to  do  it  very 
quickly." 

"  I  understand  now,"  answered  Ruth. 
"  And  I  see,  too,  why  the  Swiss  have  such 
a  queer  way  of  making  watches.  One  man 
in  a  village  keeps  making  one  part  of  the 
works  ;  another  man  works  steadily,  year  after 
year,  on  another  part,  and  so  on.  All  these 
different  parts  are  sent  to  the  factory  in  the 
city,  and  quickly  put  together  into  complete 
watches.  That  is  what  my  father  told  me, 
and  he  must  know,  I'm  sure." 

"  Yes,  that  is  the  work  of  the  people  around 
Geneva,"  answered  Carl.  "  I  have  never  been 
to  that  city  yet,  but  I  hope  to  go  there  before 

In 
ong. 

"  We  stayed  there  a  week.     Nearly  every 

one   I    met   spoke  in  French,  while  you  talk 

German   all    the   time,   Carl.     That  seems  so 


3&        Our  Little  Swiss  Cousin 

queer.  You  live  in  the  same  country,  and  yet 
you  speak  in  different  languages.  Why,  father 
says  we  shall  soon  visit  another  part  of  Swit- 
zerland where  I  shall  hear  nothing  but  Italian." 

"  I  suppose  it  must  seem  strange  to  you," 
replied  Carl,  thoughtfully,  "  yet  we  all  love  our 
country,  and  each  other.  We  would  fight 
promptly  to  save  Switzerland,  or  to  help  any 
part  in  time  of  danger.  We  even  have  differ- 
ent religious  beliefs ;  but  while  we  of  our  vil- 
lage are  Catholics,  and  try  to  do  as  the  good 
priests  tell  us,  there  are  many  others  not  far 
away  who  are  Protestants.  Yet  we  are  at 
peace  with  one  another.  Oh,  I  believe  our 
country  is  the  freest  and  best  in  all  the  world. 
Excuse  me,  please ;   I  can't  help  thinking  so." 

Ruth  laughed.  "  I  like  you  all  the  better, 
Carl,  for  feeling  in  this  way.  Of  course,  I 
love  America  the  best,  and  shall  be  glad  to 
get  home  again  after  we  have  travelled  awhile 
longer.     But  I  think  your  country  is  the  most 


The  Mountain   Pasture  39 

beautiful  I  have  ever  seen.  And  father  says 
we  Americans  can  learn  some  good  lessons 
from  Switzerland.  I  shall  understand  more 
about  that,  however,  when  I  am  older." 

"  How  long  have  you  been  here  in  Switzer- 
land ?  "  Carl  asked. 

"  It  is  two  months,  I  think.  But  we  haven't 
been  travelling  all  the  time.  Mother  wasn't 
well  and  we  stayed  most  of  the  time  at  the 
queerest  place  I  ever  heard  of.  This  was  so 
mother  could  drink  the  waters  and  get  cured." 

"  Do  you  remember  the  name  of  the  place  ?  " 
asked  Carl. 

"  Yes,  it  is  called  the  Leuken  Baths." 

"  I've  often  heard  of  those  waters.  They 
are  boiling  as  they  come  bursting  out  of  the 
ground,  aren't  they  ?  " 

"  Yes,  but  that  is  not  the  odd  part  of  it,  be- 
cause there  are  many  other  boiling  springs  in 
the  world.  It  is  the  way  that  people  are  cured 
at  these  baths   that  made  me  laugh.     Why, 


40        Our  Little  Swiss  Cousin 

Carl,  some  of  them  stay  in  the  water  all  day 
long  !  They  wear  flannel  gowns  and  sit  soak- 
ing while  they  play  games  on  floating  tables, 
and  even  eat  their  dinners  there.  The  men 
smoke,  while  the  women  laugh  and  chat.  The 
hot  water  brings  out  a  rash  all  over  the  body, 
and  the  blood,  after  a  while,  becomes  purer." 

Carl  laughed  when  he  pictured  the  food  on 
floating  tables  and  people  sitting  around  them 
with  only  heads  and  shoulders  out  of  water. 

"  Did  your  mother  do  like  these  others  ?  " 
he  asked,  and  he  turned  his  head  toward  the 
beautifully  dressed  lady  who  sat  talking  with 
his  parents. 

"  No,  she  said  that  was  too  much,  but  she 
drank  a  good  deal  of  the  water,  and  she  feels 
better  than  she  has  for  years,"  replied  Ruth. 

"  Come,  come,  my  dear,  we  have  stayed  a 
long  time.  I  fear  we  have  kept  these  good 
people  from  their  work.  We  must  thank 
them,  and  go  back  to  the  town." 


The  Mountain   Pasture  41 

It  was  Ruth's  father  who  said  these  words. 
He  was  standing  in  the  doorway,  and  ready  to 
start. 

"  I  shall  not  forget  you,  Carl,"  said  the 
little  girl.  "  I  shall  often  think  of  this  little 
cottage  up  on  the  mountain,  with  the  pretty 
flowers  growing  around  it  and  the  cows  feeding 
near  by." 

After  they  had  gone,  Carl  hastily  picked  a 
bunch  of  Alpine  roses. 

"  She  thought  they  were  beautiful,"  he  said 
to  himself.  "  Perhaps  she  will  press  one  of 
them,  and  keep  it  to  remember  me  by." 

Then  with  strong  bounds  and  leaps  the  little 
boy  overtook  the  party  before  they  had  gone 
very  far.  When  he  reached  them,  however, 
he  was  suddenly  overcome  with  shyness.  He 
hastily  put  the  flowers  into  the  hands  of  Ruth's 
mother,  and  was  far  away  again  before  she 
could  thank  him. 

"  He  is  a  dear  little  fellow,"  said  the  lady. 


42      Our  Little  Swiss   Cousin 

"  He  will  make  a  strong  man,  and  a  good  one, 
too,  I  believe.  We  will  always  keep  these 
beautiful  flowers.  Perhaps  we  may  come  here 
again  in  a  year  or  two,  Ruth.  Then  we  can 
tell  Carl  how  much  we  thought  of  his  little 
gift." 


CHAPTER   III. 

THE    SCHOOLMASTER'S    VISIT 

"  Good  news  !  good  news  !  "  cried  Carl,  as 
he  came  running  into  the  house,  quite  out  of 
breath. 

"  The  schoolmaster  is  coming,  mother.  I 
know  it  must  be  he.  Come,  Franz,  let's  go  to 
meet  him." 

The  sun  was  just  hiding  his  head  behind  the 
mountain-tops,  and  the  little  family  were  about 
to  sit  down  to  their  evening  meal. 

"  Do  go  at  once,  my  dear  boys,"  said  Carl's 
mother.  "  Tell  the  good  teacher  how  glad  we 
are  at  his  coming." 

It  was  not  a  complete  surprise,  for  the 
schoolmaster  had   promised   Carl   to  spend    a 

43 


44        Our  Little  Swiss  Cousin 

week  with  him  on  the  mountain  pastures,  if 
it  were  possible. 

Another  place  was  quickly  set  at  the  table. 
In  a  few  minutes  the  boys  returned,  and  with 
them  was  a  man  with  a  kind  face  and  a  hearty 
voice. 

"  Welcome,  welcome !  my  friend,"  said 
Rudolf.  "It  is  indeed  a  pleasure  to  see  you 
here.  What  news  is  there  from  the  good  folks 
of  our  village  ?  " 

"  They  are  all  well,  and  send  greetings. 
Even  poor  little  Gretel,  the  cretin,  seemed  to 
understand  where  I  was  coming,  and  she  sent 
you  her  love." 

What  is  a  cretin,  you  wonder  ?  A  person 
of  weak  mind  is  so  called  in  Switzerland.  You 
often  find  such  people  who  are  not  as  bright 
as  they  should  be.  The  mind  is  dull  and 
dark,  it  cannot  see  and  understand  like  others. 

Why  is  it  that  cretins  are  often  found  in  the 
homes  of  the  poor  ?     Some  think  it  is  because 


The  Schoolmaster's  Visit       45 

the  Swiss  are  such  hard  workers,  and  yet  do 
not  have  the  nourishing  food  they  should. 

"Have  you  been  at  home  all  summer?" 
asked  Rudolf. 

"  No,  I  had  business  that  took  me  over  the 
St.  Bernard  Pass.  It  was  a  hard  journey,  even 
in  this  summer-time,  for  I  travelled  most  of 
the  way  on  foot." 

"  O,  how  I  wish  I  could  have  gone  with 
you,"  cried  Franz.  "  I  have  always  longed 
to  visit  the  good  monks  and  see  their  brave 
dogs." 

"  It  must  be  a  terrible  tramp  over  the 
mountain  in  winter,"  the  schoolmaster  went 
on.  "  Yet  every  year  there  are  some  people 
who  need  to  go  that  way  at  that  season.  How 
much  worse  it  would  be,  however,  if  the 
monastery  were  not  there,  with  the  priests 
living  in  it  and  giving  their  lives  to  help 
others." 

"  They  say  that  the  cold  is  so  great  that  the 


46       Our  Little  Swiss  Cousin 

monks  cannot  stand  more  than  a  few  years  of 
such  a  life,"  said  Rudolf. 

"It  is  true,"  replied  the  schoolmaster. 
"  Many  of  them  die  before  their  time,  while 
others  must  after  a  while  go  down  to  warmer 
lands.  The  noble  dogs  that  they  raise  stand 
the  cold  much  better." 

"  I  have  often  made  a  picture  for  myself  of 
a  snow-storm  on  the  St.  Bernard,"  said  Carl, 
thoughtfully.  He  had  not  spoken  for  a  long 
time.  "  How  the  drifts  pile  up  and  fill  the 
pathway.  The  snow  falls  thick  and  fast,  and 
after  a  while  the  poor  traveller  cannot  tell 
which  way  to  turn.  He  grows  cold  and  numb  ; 
he  is  quite  tired  out.  At  last  he  gives  up  hope, 
and  perhaps  he  sinks  down,  and  perhaps  he 
loses  all  sense  of  where  he  is.  Now  is  the 
very  time  that  the  good  monks,  watching 
the  storm,  loose  the  dogs.  But  first,  food 
and  reviving  drink  are  fastened  to  the  collars 
of  the  trusty  animals. 


The   Schoolmaster's  Visit       47 

"  Off  they  bound,  down  the  mountainside, 
scenting  the  air  on  every  side.  They  under- 
stand their  duty  and  work  faithfully.  They 
find  the  poor  traveller  in  time  to  save  his  life 
and  guide  him  to  the  home  of  the  priests. 
Ah  !  how  I  love  these  good  men  and  their 
faithful  dogs." 

"  Your  cheeks  have  grown  quite  rosy  with 
the  story,  my  boy,"  said  the  schoolmaster. 
"  The  picture  in  your  mind  must  be  bright, 
indeed.  But  we  cannot  praise  too  highly  both 
the  monks  and  their  loving  deeds.  Some- 
times, alas  !  the  dogs  do  not  find  the  travellers 
in  time,  however.  Then  they  can  only  drag 
their  dead  bodies  to  the  monastery,  where  they 
will  stay  till  friends  of  the  travellers  come  to 
claim  them.  But  enough  of  this  sad  thought 
for  to-night ;  let  us  talk  of  other  things." 

"  Dear  master,"  said  Franz,  "  please  tell  us 
of  other  things  you  have  seen  this  summer. 
We  always  love  to  hear  your  stories." 


48       Our  Little  Swiss  Cousin 

"  Let  me  see.  O,  yes,  now  I  think  of 
something  that  will  interest  you  boys.  I 
travelled  for  quite  a  distance  with  a  hunter. 
He  had  been  in  search  of  chamois,  but  he 
says  they  are  getting  very  scarce  now.  He 
was  bringing  home  only  one." 

"  It  seems  a  shame  to  kill  the  poor  crea- 
tures," said  Carl's  father.  "  They  are  gentle 
and  harmless,  and  take  pleasure  in  living 
where  others  find  only  danger.  Once  I  came 
suddenly  upon  a  herd  of  them.  They  seemed 
to  be  having  a  game  of  chase  together,  and 
were  frolicking  gaily.  But  at  the  sound  of 
my  footstep  they  fled  like  the  wind  over  the 
snow  and  ice.  In  a  moment,  almost,  they 
were  out  of  sight." 

"  Why  can  they  climb  where  no  one  else  is 
able  to  go  ?  "  asked  Carl. 

"  Behind  each  hoof  there  is  another  called 
the  false  hoof,"  replied  the  schoolmaster.  "  I 
looked  at  those  of  the  dead  chamois  the  hunter 


"  '  FOLLOWING    ITS    MASTER    ABOUT    JUST    LIKE    A    DOG.'  " 


The  Schoolmasters  Visit       49 

was  carrying  home.  These  extra  hoofs  give  the 
creature  the  power  to  hold  himself  in  places 
which  would  not  be  safe  without  their  aid. 
Their  bodies  are  very  light  and  their  legs  are 
slim,  while  they  seem  to  be  entirely  without 
fear  of  anything  save  men." 

"  Poor  little  things,"  exclaimed  Franz. 
"  We  are  taught  to  be  kind  to  the  birds 
and  to  protect  them  in  every  way.  I  never 
in  my  life  knew  of  a  Swiss  harming  a  bird's 
nest.  We  ought  to  be  kind  to  the  chamois  as 
well.  I  once  knew  a  boy  who  had  a  tame  one 
for  a  pet.  His  father  caught  it  when  it  was 
very  young.  It  was  the  dearest  little  thing, 
following  its  master  about  just  like  a  dog.  In 
summer  its  hair  was  yellowish  brown,  but  in 
winter  it  grew  darker  and  was  almost  black." 

"  Did  you  know  that  the  chamois  always 
have  a  sentinel  on  guard  while  they  are  feed- 
ing ?  "  asked  the  schoolmaster. 

"  No,  sir,"  said  both  boys  together. 


50       Our  Little   Swiss  Cousin 

"  Yes,  it  is  true,  the  hunters  have  told  me 
so.  If  this  chamois  guard  hears  the  slightest 
sound  or  discovers  even  a  footprint,  he  at  once 
gives  an  alarm.  Away  flees  the  herd  in  search 
of  safety. 

"  But,  dear  me!  it  is  growing  late  and  you 
must  be  up  early  in  the  morning.  Then  you 
must  show  me  your  store  of  cheeses,"  he 
added,  turning  to  Carl's  mother.  "  The  cows 
are  looking  fine ;  they  must  enjoy  the  pastures 
here.  And  now,  good  night.  May  you  all 
sleep  well  in  the  care  of  the  loving  Father." 

In  a  few  minutes  every  one  in  the  little 
cottage  was  resting  quietly. 


CHAPTER    IV. 


THE    BRAVE    ARCHER 


It  was  a  bright  summer  day.  In  the  morn- 
ing Carl's  father  had  said  to  the  boys : 

"  You  may  have  a  holiday  and  may  go 
where  you  please  with  the  schoolmaster.  I 
will  attend  to  the  cows  all  the  day." 

So  they  had  taken  a  lunch  and  had  climbed 
to  the  summit  of  the  mountain.  Their  kind 
teacher  had  told  them  stories  of  the  flowers 
and  the  stones. 

"  They  never  seemed  so  much  alive  to  me 
before,"  said  Carl,  as  they  sat  resting  on  a  big 
gray  rock,  far  up  above  the  pastures.  "  I  like 
to  hear  you  talk  in  school,  dear  master,  but  it 
is  far  better  up  here  among  the  grand  moun- 
tains and  in  the  fresh  air.  Perhaps  William 
Tell  himself  once  stood  on  this  very  spot." 

Si 


52        Our  Little  Swiss  Cousin 

"It  is  quite  likely,"  replied  the  school- 
master. "  You  know  that  his  home  was  not 
many  miles  from  our  village.  He  was  never 
so  happy  as  when  wandering  among  the  moun- 
tains. Those  were  wonderful  times  in  which 
he  lived.  But  there  is  the  same  feeling  now  as 
then.  We  Swiss  love  freedom  best  of  all,  and 
are  ever  ready  to  give  our  lives  for  it,  if  there 
be  need." 

"  How  cruel  the  Austrians  were !  They 
thought  that  because  theirs  was  a  large  and 
powerful  country  they  could  do  with  us  as  they 
pleased.  But  they  found  themselves  mistaken 
after  awhile,  didn't  they  ?  "  said  Franz. 

"Yes,  my  boy,  but  never  forget  that  our 
freedom  started  in  the  work  of  three  men,  and 
three  only,  who  joined  together  with  brave 
hearts.  They  worked  with  no  selfish  feeling, 
and,  before  the  end  came,  they  had  filled  all 
Switzerland  with  the  daring  to  be  free." 

"  Yes,  yes,  we  will  always   remember  that. 


The  Brave  Archer  53 

And  only  think  !  one  of  those  three  men  lived 
here  in  our  Canton.  I  am  always  proud  to 
think  of  it." 

"  Boys,  look  at  our  country  now,  and  then 
turn  back  to  the  sad  times  long  ago.  Can 
you  imagine  the  way  those  three  men  felt 
when  they  met  in  the  dark  night  on  the  field 
of  Rutli  ?  Can  you  not  see  them  pledging 
themselves  to  their  country  in  throwing  off 
the  yoke  of  Austria  ? 

"  They  hated  their  rulers  so  much  that  a 
peacock  was  not  allowed  to  live  in  Switzer- 
land. That  was,  you  know,  because  a  pea- 
cock feather  was  the  emblem  of  Austria." 

"Wasn't  it  about  that  time  that  William 
Tell  lived  ?  "  asked  Carl. 

"  Yes,  and  he  was  known  through  all  the 
country  as  a  brave  man  and  a  skilful  archer. 
It  was  very  natural  that  he  should  refuse  to 
show  honour  to  the  Austrian  governor." 

"It  makes  me  angry  whenever  I   think  of 


54        Our  Little  Swiss  Cousin 

Gessler,"  cried  Franz.  "  It  seems  to  me  only 
another  name  for  cruel  power.  But  is  it  pos- 
sible that  he  really  had  his  hat  stuck  up  on  a 
pole  in  the  market-place  of  Altdorf,  and  that 
every  Swiss  who  passed  by  was  ordered  to 
bow  down  before  it  ?  " 

"  I  believe  so,  although  some  people  think 
the  whole  story  of  William  Tell  is  only  a 
legend,  and  that  is  a  part  of  it.  Our  history 
shows,  however,  that  this  brave  man  really 
lived." 

"  Won't  you  repeat  the  story  ? "  asked 
Franz.  "  I  love  to  hear  it  over  and  over 
again." 

"Yes,  if  you  like." 

"  After  Gessler's  hat  had  been  stuck  on  the 
pole,  William  Tell  was  one  of  those  who 
passed  by.  Bow  before  the  hat  of  the  cruel 
tyrant !  It  was  not  to  be  thought  of.  Tell 
took  no  notice  of  it  whatever.  He  did  not 
appear  to  know  it  was  there. 


The  Brave  Archer  55 

"  Now  it  happened  that  one  of  Gessler's 
spies  stood  near  by.  He  watched  Tell  closely. 
He  sent  word  to  his  master  at  once  that  there 
was  one  Swiss  who  would  not  give  him  proper 
honour.  You  know  what  followed,  my  boys. 
Tell  was  seized  and  bound. 

"  Gessler  must  have  said  to  himself,  f  I  will 
make  an  example  of  this  insolent  peasant.' 
For  Tell  was  brought  before  him  and  ordered 
to  stand  at  a  great  distance  from  his  little  son 
and  shoot  at  an  apple  on  the  boy's  head.  If 
he  struck  the  apple  he  was  to  be  allowed  to  go 
free. 

cc  Do  you  think  Tell  feared  he  could  not 
do  it  ?  No,  he  was  too  good  an  archer.  But 
his  child  was  so  dear  to  him  that  his  very  love 
might  make  his  hand  tremble.  Think  again  ! 
the  boy  might  move  from  fright,  and  then 
the  arrow  would  enter  his  body  instead  of 
the  apple  on  his  head. 

"It  was  a  terrible  thing  to  think  of.     But 


56        Our  Little  Swiss  Cousin 

William  Tell  made  ready  for  the  trial.  The 
time  came.  A  crowd  of  people  gathered  to 
see  the  test.  The  boy  did  not  move  a  mus- 
cle. The  arrow  went  straight  to  its  mark. 
The  people  shouted  with  joy. 

"  Then  it  was  that  Gessler,  who  had  been 
watching  closely,  noticed  that  Tell  held  a 
second  arrow. 

"'Why  didst  thou  bring  more  than  one, 
thou  proud  peasant  ? '  angrily  asked  the 
tyrant. 

" '  That  I  might  shoot  thee  had  I  failed  in 
cleaving  the  apple,'  was  the  quick  answer. 

" c  Seize  him  !  Bind  him  hand  and  foot,  and 
away  with  him  to  the  dungeon  ! '  shouted  the 
enraged  governor. 

"  His  men  seized  Tell,  and  strong  chains 
made  the  noble  Swiss  helpless.  He  was  car- 
ried to  a  boat  already  waiting  on  the  shore, 
for  the  dungeon  was  across  the  deep,  blue 
waters  of  Lake  Lucerne. 


The  Brave  Archer  57 

"  Ah  !  how  sad  must  have  been  the  hearts 
of  our  people  as  they  watched  Gessler  and  his 
servants  get  into  the  boat  and  row  away. 
They  thought  they  would  never  see  the  brave 
archer  again. 

"  But  this  was  not  God's  will.  A  sudden 
storm  arose  before  the  party  had  gone  very 
far.  The  wind  blew  fearfully,  and  the  little 
boat  was  tossed  about  on  the  waves  as  though 
it  were  a  feather.  The  rowers  could  not  keep 
the  boat  in  her  course.  It  seemed  as  though, 
every  moment,  she  would  be  dashed  against 
the  rocks  and  destroyed.  Then  it  was  that 
Gessler  remembered  that  Tell  was  as  skilful 
with  a  boat  as  he  was  with  a  bow  and 
arrow. 

" c  Take  ofF  the  peasant's  chains,'  he  cried. 
c  Let  him  guide  us  to  a  safe  landing-place.  It 
is  our  only  chance  of  being  saved.' 

"  Tell  was  made  free.  His  quick  mind  told 
him  what   to   do.     He   seized    the   oars,   and 


58        Our  Little  Swiss  Cousin 

with  strong  strokes  soon  brought  the  boat 
close  to  the  shore.  Then,  springing  out,  he 
pushed  the  boat  off  into  the  water. 

"  Would  Gessler  be  saved  ?  Tell  wondered 
if  it  were  possible.  Then  he  said  to  himself, 
*  If  the  tyrant  is  not  destroyed,  he  must  go 
home    through    the   pass    in    the   mountains.' 

"  With  this  thought,  he  hurried  up  over  the 
crags,  and  hid  himself  behind  a  great  rock. 
He  waited  patiently.  At  last  he  heard  foot- 
steps and  voices.  His  enemy  was  drawing 
near.  He  stood  ready  with  bent  bow.  As 
Gessler  came  into  view,  whizz !  flew  the  arrow 
straight  into  the  tyrant's  heart !  He  could 
never  again  harm  Switzerland  or  the  Swiss. " 

"  Brave  Tell !  Brave  Tell !  "  shouted  Carl. 
"  Dear  master,  have  you  ever  visited  the 
chapel  which  stands  to-day  in  honour  of  this 
great  countryman  of  ours  ?  " 

"  Yes,  Carl,  and  when  you  come  back  to  the 
lowlands  in  the  fall,  you  shall  visit  it  with  me. 


The  Brave  Archer  59 

You  and  Franz  must  also  go  to  look  at  the 
stone  on  which  Tell  stepped  as  he  sprang 
from  Gessler's  boat.  Even  now,  we  can  seem 
to  feel  Tell's  joy  when  he  wandered  among 
the  mountains,  and  thought  of  plans  by  which 
he  could  help  his  country.  For  after  Gessler 
was  killed,  there  was  the  whole  army  of  Austria 
to  be  driven  out." 

"  People  needn't  tell  me  that  the  story  of 
William  Tell  and  the  apple  is  only  a  legend," 
exclaimed  Franz.  "  I  believe  every  word  of 
it,  don't  you,  Carl  ?  " 

"  Indeed  I  do.  Won't  you  tell  us  another 
story  ?  Look  !  the  sun  is  still  high  in  the  sky. 
We  need  not  go  home  for  an  hour  yet." 

"  Let  me  see,  boys.  Shall  it  be  a  tale  of 
old  Switzerland  and  of  her  struggles  with  her 
enemies  ? " 

"Yes,  yes,"  cried  both  boys.  "We  are 
never  tired  of  hearing  of  the  lives  of  our  great 
men." 


6o        Our  Little  Swiss  Cousin 

"  Very  well,  then,  you  shall  listen  to  the 
story  of  Arnold  of  Winkelried. 

"  It  was  a  time  of  great  danger.  The  Aus- 
trians  were  pouring  into  our  country.  Their  sol- 
diers, protected  by  the  strongest  steel  armour, 
bore  fearful  weapons.  Our  people  were  poor, 
and  had  only  slings  or  bows  and  arrows  with 
which  to  defend  themselves.  What  should  be 
done  ?  There  was  the  Austrian  army,  closely 
drawn  up,  with  shields  glistening  in  the  sun- 
light, —  here  were  the  Swiss,  few  and  un- 
protected, but  burning  with  love  for  their 
country. 

"  It  seemed  as  though  all  chance  of  saving 
Switzerland  was  hopeless.  Then  the  brave 
Arnold  spoke. 

"  c  Friends,'  said  he, £  I  am  ready  to  give  my 
life  for  my  country.  I  will  rush  into  the  ranks 
of  our  enemies  and  make  an  entrance  for  you. 
Be  ready  ;  follow  with  all  your  might,  and  you 
may  throw  them   into   confusion.      You  who 


The  Brave  Archer  61 

live  after  me  must  take  care  of  my  wife  and 
children  when  I  am  gone.' 

"  There  was  not  a  moment  to  be  lost. 

" l  Make  way  for  Liberty  ! '  cried  Arnold, 
then  ran  with  arms  extended  wide,  as  if  to 
clasp  his  dearest  friend. 

"  A  hundred  spears  were  thrust  toward  him. 
He  gathered  as  many  as  he  could  in  his  hands 
and  arms.  They  entered  his  body  on  all  sides, 
but  before  the  hero  fell  he  had  made  an  open- 
ing into  the  ranks  of  the  enemy  through  which 
his  comrades  dashed.  Thrown  into  confusion, 
the  Austrians  fled,  and  were  driven  out  of  our 
loved  country. 

"  Switzerland  was  saved  for  us,  my  lads, 
through  the  sacrifice  of  that  noble  man,  Arnold 
von  Winkelried.  May  you  live  to  do  him 
honour ! " 

"  I  can  see  him  now,  as  he  rushed  into  the 
midst  of  the  cruel  Austrians,"  cried  Carl,  jump- 
ing to  his  feet.      "  Noble,  noble  Arnold !     I 


62        Our  Little  Swiss  Cousin 

do  not  believe  any  other  land  has  such  a  hero. 
Dear  master,  I  will  try  to  be  braver  and  truer 
all  my  life,  and  be  ready  to  serve  my  country 
faithfully  in  time  of  need." 

"I,  too,"  exclaimed  Franz,  "will  be  more 
of  a  man  from  this  very  moment." 

"  Well  said,  my  dear  boys.  But  come,  it  is 
growing  late  and  you  will  be  needed  at  home." 


CHAPTER   V. 


THE    HAYMAKERS 


"  Mother  !  mother !  here  come  the  mow- 
ers," called  Carl,  as  he  came  toward  the  house 
with  a  pail  of  milk  in  each  hand.  The  wooden 
milking-stool  was  still  strapped  around  the 
boy's  waist,  and  its  one  leg  stuck  out  behind 
like  a  little  stiff  tail.  You  would  have  laughed 
at  the  sight,  as  did  the  two  haymakers  who 
had  by  this  time  reached  the  hut. 

"  What,  ho  !  Carl,"  said  one  of  the  men, 
"are  you  changing  into  a  monkey  now  you 
have  come  up  to  the  highlands  for  the 
summer  ? " 

"  I  was  so  busy  thinking,"  replied  the  boy, 
"  that  I  forgot  to  leave  the  stool  in  the  stable 
when  I  had  finished  the  milking.  I  am  glad 
63 


64        Our  Little  Swiss  Cousin 

you  are  here  to-night.     How  does  the  work 
go? 

"  Pretty  hard,  my  boy,  pretty  hard,  but 
I  love  it,"  answered  the  younger  man  of  the 
two  mowers.  "  Still,  I  shouldn't  advise  you 
to  be  a  haymaker  when  you  grow  up.  It  is 
too  dangerous  a  business." 

"  It  isn't  such  hard  work  gathering  the  hay 
in  these  parts  as  it  is  in  most  places,"  said  the 
older  man.  "  Ah !  many  a  time  I  have 
worked  all  day  long  on  the  edge  of  a  preci- 
pice ;  it  is  a  wonder  I  am  living  now." 

"  It  is  not  strange  that  the  law  allows  only 
one  person  in  a  family  to  be  a  haymaker,"  said 
Carl's  mother,  who  had  come  to  the  door  to 
welcome  her  visitors.  cc  I  am  very  glad  my 
husband  never  chose  the  work.  I  should  fret 
about  him  all  through  the  summer.  But  come 
in,  friends,  and  lay  down  your  scythes.  We 
are  glad  to  see  you." 

The    two    mowers    were    on    their    way    to 


The  Haymakers  6$ 

higher  places  up  on  the  mountain.  They 
were  cutting  the  wild  hay  which  could  be 
found  here  and  there  in  little  patches  among 
the  rocks  and  cliffs. 

Could  this  work  be  worth  while  ?  We 
wonder  if  it  is  possible.  But  the  Swiss  value 
the  mountain  hay  greatly.  It  is  sweet  and 
tender  and  full  of  fine  herbs,  while  the  higher 
it  grows,  the  better  it  is.  The  cattle  have  a 
treat  in  the  winter-time  when  they  have 
a  dinner  of  this  wild  mountain  hay. 

Carl's  friends  had  large  nets  tied  up  in 
bundles  and  fastened  to  their  backs.  Their 
shoes  had  iron  spikes  in  the  strong  soles. 
These  would  keep  their  feet  from  slipping,  as 
they  reached  down  over  the  edge  of  a  sharp 
cliff  or  held  themselves  on  some  steep  slope 
while  they  skilfully  gathered  the  hay  and  put 
it  in  the  nets.  But,  even  then,  they  must  not 
make  a  false  step  or  grow  dizzy,  or  let  fear 
enter    their    heads.      If  any    of  these    things 


66        Our  Little  Swiss  Cousin 

should  happen,  an  accident,  and  probably  a 
very  bad  one,  too,  would  surely  follow. 
,  When  all  the  nets  were  filled,  they  would 
be  stored  in  safe  nooks  until  the  snow  should 
come.  Then  for  the  sport !  For  the  mowers 
would  climb  the  mountains  with  their  sledges, 
load  them  with  the  nets  full  of  hay,  and  slide 
down  the  slopes  with  their  precious  stores. 

"May  I  go  with  you  when  you  collect  the 
hay  in  November  ? "  Carl  asked  his  friends. 
"  I  won't  be  afraid,  and  it  is  such  fun  travelling 
like  the  wind." 

"It  will  take  your  breath  away,  I  promise 
you,"  said  the  boy's  father.  He  had  come 
into  the  house  just  in  time  to  hear  what  was 
being  said.  "  I  will  risk  you,  Carl,  however. 
You  would  not  be  afraid,  and  he  who  is  not 
afraid  is  generally  safe.  It  is  fear  that  causes 
most  of  the  accidents.  But  come,  my  good 
wife  has  made  the  supper  ready.  Let  us  sit 
down  ;  then  we  can  go  on  talking." 


The  Haymakers  67 

"  How  good  this  is ! "  said  one  of  the 
visitors,  as  he  tasted  the  bread  on  which 
toasted  cheese  had  been  spread. 

Carl's  mother  did  not  sit  down  to  the  table 
with  the  others.  She  had  said  to  herself,  "  I  will 
give  the  mowers  a  treat.  They  are  not  able  to 
have  the  comforts  of  a  home  very  often."  So 
she  stood  by  the  fire  and  held  a  mould  of 
cheese  close  to  the  flames.  As  fast  as  it 
softened,  she  scraped  it  off  and  spread  it  on 
the  slices  of  bread.  Every  one  was  hungry, 
so  she  was  kept  busy  serving  first  one,  then 
another. 

She  smiled  at  the  men's  praise.  They  told 
her  they  had  spent  the  night  before  with  two 
goatherds  who  lived  in  a  cave.  It  was  only  a 
few  miles  away  on  the  west  slope  of  the 
mountain. 

"  They  have  a  fine  flock  of  goats,"  said  one 
of  the  men,  "  and  they  are  getting  quantities 
of  rich    milk   for  cheese.     But  it  cannot  be 


68        Our  Little  Swiss  Cousin 

good  for  them  to  sleep  two  or  three  months  in 
such  a  wretched  place.  They  look  pale,  even 
though  they  breathe  this  fine  mountain  air  all 
day  long." 

"  Carl  and  Franz  don't  look  sickly,  by  any 
means,"  laughed  Rudolf,  as  he  pointed  to  the 
boys'  brown  arms.  The  sleeves  of  their  leather 
jackets  were  short  and  hardly  reached  to  their 
elbows.  The  strong  sunshine  and  wind  had 
done  their  work  and  changed  the  colour  of  the 
fair  skin  to  a  deep  brown. 

"  You  will  have  good  weather  for  haying, 
to-morrow,"  said  Franz,  who  was  standing  at 
the  window  and  looking  off  toward  a  mountain- 
top  in  the  distance.  "  Pilatus  has  his  hood  on 
to-night." 

"  A  good  sign,  surely,"  said  Rudolf.  "  We 
shall  probably  see  a  fine  sunrise  in  the  morn- 
ing.    You  all  know  the  old  verse, 

'"If  Pilatus  wears  his  hood, 

Then  the  weather's  always  good.'" 


The  Haymakers  69 

The  "  hood  "  is  a  cloud  which  spreads  out 
over  the  summit  of  the  mountain  and  hides 
it  from  sight.  Carl  has  often  looked  for  this 
the  night  before  a  picnic  or  festival.  If  he 
saw  it,  he  would  go  to  bed  happy,  for  he  felt 
sure  it  would  be  pleasant  the  next  day. 

"  I  shouldn't  think  Pilatus  would  be  happy 
with  such  a  name,"  said  Franz.  "  I  wonder 
if  it  is  really  true  that  Pilate's  body  was  buried 
in  the  lake  up  near  its  summit." 

"  That  is  the  story  I  heard  when  I  was  a 
little  boy  at  my  mother's  knee,"  said  the  old 
hay-cutter.  "  I  have  heard  it  many  times 
since.  It  may  be  only  a  legend,  but  it  seems 
true  to  me,  at  any  rate." 

"  Tell  it  to  us  again,"  said  Rudolf.  "  There 
are  no  stories  like  the  ones  we  heard  in  our 
childhood." 

"  It  was  after  the  death  of  our  Master," 
said  the  mower,  in  a  low,  sad  voice.  "  Pilate 
saw  too  late  what  he  had  done.     He   had  al- 


70        Our  Little  Swiss  Cousin 

lowed  the  Wise  One  to  be  put  to  death.  He 
himself  was  to  blame,  for  he  could  have  saved 
Him.  He  could  not  put  the  thought  out  of 
his  mind.  At  last,  he  could  bear  it  no  longer, 
and  he  ended  his  own  life. 

"  His  body  was  thrown  into  the  Tiber,  a 
river  that  flows  by  the  city  of  Rome.  The 
river  refused  to  let  it  stay  there,  for  it  was  the 
body  of  too  wicked  a  man,  so  it  cast  it  up  on 
the  shore.  Then  it  was  carried  to  the  Rhine, 
but  this  river  would  not  keep  it,  either. 
What  should  be  tried  now  ?  Some  one  said, 
'  We  will  take  it  to  the  summit  of  a  mountain 
where  there  is  a  deep  lake,  and  drop  it  in  the 
dark  waters.' 

"It  was  done,  and  the  body  found  a  resting- 
place  at  last." 

"  You  did  not  finish  the  story,"  said  Rudolf. 
"  It  is  said  that  the  restless  spirit  of  Pilate  is 
allowed  to  arise  once  each  year  and  roam 
through  the  mountains  for  a  single  night  on 


The  Haymakers  71 

a  jet-black  horse.  On  that  night  the  waters 
of  the  lake  surge  and  foam  as  if  a  terrible 
storm  were   raging." 

"Are  you  going  to  the  party  to-morrow 
night  ?  "  asked  the  younger  mower.  "  The 
goatherds  told  me  about  it.  I  wish  we  could 
be  there,  but  our  work  is  too  far  away. 
The  villagers  are  getting  ready  for  a  good 
time." 

"  What  party  ? "  cried  Carl  and  Franz 
together.  They  were  excited  at  the  very 
idea. 

Ci  Why,  haven't  you  heard  about  it  ?  You 
know  there  is  a  little  village  about  two  miles 
below  the  pasture  where  those  goatherds  live. 
The  young  folks  have  planned  to  have  a  dance 
and  a  wrestling  match.  I  am  surprised  you 
have  not  heard  about  it.  They  expect  all  the 
herders  and  mowers  to  come  from  near  and 
far.  You  will  certainly  be  invited  in  the 
morning." 


72        Our  Little  Swiss  Cousin 

And  so  it  was.  Before  the  cows  were  let 
out  to  pasture,  a  horn  was  heard  in  the  dis- 
tance. 

"  Hail,  friends  !  "  it  seemed  to  call. 

Carl  rushed  into  the  house  for  his  own  horn 
and  gave  a  strong,  clear  blast,  then  another 
and  another.  It  was  an  answering  cry  of  wel- 
come and  good-will. 

A  boy  about  twelve  years  old  soon  came 
into  view.  He  wore  a  tight-fitting  leather  cap 
and  heavy  shoes  with  iron-spiked  soles  like 
Carl's.      He  came  hurrying  along. 

"  There  is  to  be  a  party  at  our  village  to- 
night," he  said,  as  soon  as  he  was  near  enough 
for  Carl  to  hear.  "It  will  be  moonlight,  you 
know,  and  we  will  have  a  jolly  time.  All 
your  folks  must  come,  too." 

Carl  and  Franz  were  soon  talking  with  the 
boy  as  though  they  had  always  known  him, 
yet  they  had  never  met  before. 

"  My  folks  came  near  forgetting  there  was 


The  Haymakers  73 

any  one  living  here  this  summer,"  the  strange 
boy  said.  "  They  only  though  about  it  last 
night,  but  they  very  much  wish  you  to  come." 

He  stayed  only  a  few  moments,  as  he  had 
been  told  to  return  at  once. 

"There  is  plenty  to  do,  you  know,  to  get 
ready  for  a  party,"  he  said.  "  Besides,  it  will 
take  me  a  good  hour  to  go  back  by  the  short- 
est path  around  the  slope,  it  winds  up  and 
down  so  much.  But  you  will  come,  won't 
your 

Carl's  father  and  mother  were  as  much 
pleased  by  the  invitation  as  were  the  boys. 
The  milking  was  done  earlier  than  usual,  and 
the  cows  were  locked  up  in  the  stable  before 
the  sunset  light  had  coloured  the  snowy  tops 
of  the  distant  mountains. 

It  was  quite  a  long  tramp  for  Carl's  mother, 
but  she  only  thought  how  nice  it  would  be  to 
join  in  dance  and  song  again.  The  wrestling 
match  took  place  in  the  afternoon.    The  father 


74        Our  Little  Swiss  Cousin 

would  not  have  missed  that  for  a  good  deal, 
so  he  left  home  three  hours,  at  least,  before 
the  others.  The  boys  stayed  behind  to  help 
the  mother  in  the  milking  and  to  show  her  the 
way  to  the  village  afterward. 

The  party  was  a  merry  one.  They  drank 
cup  after  cup  of  coffee,  and  all  the  good  old 
songs  of  Switzerland  were  sung  with  a  will. 
Carl's  mother  showed  she  had  not  forgotten 
how  to  dance.  Carl  and  Franz  were  too  shy 
to  join  in  the  dancing,  but  it  was  fun  enough 
for  them  to  watch  the  others.  Oh,  yes,  it  was 
a  merry  time,  and  the  moon  shone  so  brightly 
that  it  lighted  the  path  homeward  almost  as 
plainly  as  though  it  were  daytime. 

"  Next  week  we  return  to  our  own  little  vil- 
lage in  the  valley,"  said  Rudolf,  as  the  family 
walked  back  after  the  party.  "  Our  old 
friends  will  be  glad  to  see  us  as  well  as  the 
fine  store  of  cheese  we  shall  bring.  Then  for 
another  merrymaking.     Carl,  you  must  show 


The  Haymakers  75 

us  then  what  you  learned  at  the  gymnasium 
last  year." 

The  boy's  father  was  proud  of  Carl's 
strength  and  grace.  "  How  fine  it  is,"  he 
often  said  to  himself,  "  that  every  school  in 
our  country  has  a  gymnasium,  so  that  the 
boys  are  trained  in  body  as  well  as  in  mind. 
That  is  the  way  to  have  strong  men  to  defend 
our  country  and  to  govern  it.  I  will  buy  Carl 
a  rifle  for  his  very  own.  The  boy  deserves  it, 
he  has  worked  so  hard  and  so  well  all  summer. 
He  can  shoot  well  already,  and  I  will  train 
him  myself  this  winter,  and  in  a  year  or  two 
more  he  can  take  part  in  the  yearly  rifle  match. 
I  am  very  glad  I  have  a  son." 


CHAPTER   VI. 


THE    MARMOT 


It  was  the  week  after  Carl  got  back  to  the 
village.  What  a  busy  day  it  had  been  for  his 
mother  !  You  would  certainly  think  so  if  you 
had  looked  at  the  wide  field  back  of  the  house. 
A  great  part  of  it  was  covered  with  the  family 
wash.  Sheets,  sheets,  sheets  !  And  piece  after 
piece  of  clothing  !     What  could  it  all  mean  ? 

And  did  this  little  family  own  so  much  linen 
as  lay  spread  out  on  the  grass  to-day?  It  was 
indeed  so.  In  Carl's  village  it  is  the  custom 
to  wash  only  twice  a  year.  Of  course,  chests 
full  of  bedding  are  needed  to  last  six  months, 
if  the  pieces  are  changed  as  often  in  Switzer- 
land as  they  are  in  our  country. 

When     Carl's     mother    was     married,    she 
76 


The  Marmot  77 

brought  enough  linen  to  her  new  home  to  last 
for  the  rest  of  her  life.  Carl's  grandmother  had 
been  busy  for  years  getting  it  ready  for  her 
daughter.  A  Swiss  woman  would  feel  ashamed 
if  she  did  not  have  a  large  quantity  of  such 
things  with  which  to  begin  housekeeping. 

When  the  washing  had  been  spread  out  on 
the  grass,  Carl's  mother  went  into  the  house 
feeling  quite  tired  from  her  day's  work.  The 
two  women  who  had  been  helping  her  had 
gone  home.  She  sat  down  in  a  chair  to  rest 
herself,  and  closed  her  eyes.  Just  then  she 
heard  steps  outside. 

"  It  is  Carl  getting  home  from  school,"  she 
thought,  and  she  did  not  look  up,  even  when 
the  door  opened. 

"  Well,  wife,  we  have  caught  you  sleeping, 
while  it  is  still  day.  Wake  up,  and  see  who 
has  come  to  visit  us." 

She  opened  her  eyes,  and  there  stood  not 
only  her  husband  and  Carl,  but  a  dear  brother 


78        Our  Little  Swiss  Cousin 

whom  she  had  not  seen  for  years.  How  de- 
lighted she  was  !  He  had  changed  from  a  slim 
young  fellow  into  a  big,  strong  man. 

"  O,  Fritz,  how  glad  I  am  to  see  you,"  she 
cried.  "  Do  tell  us  about  all  that  has  hap- 
pened. We  have  not  heard  from  you  for  a 
long  time.     What  have  you  been  doing  ?  " 

"  I  have  spent  part  of  my  time  as  a  guide 
among  the  highest  mountains  of  the  Alps. 
There  is  not  much  work  of  that  kind  to  do 
around  here ;  the  passes  are  not  dangerous, 
you  know.  Most  of  the  travellers  who  come 
to  this  part  of  Switzerland  are  satisfied  if  they 
go  up  the  Rigi  in  a  train.  But  I  have  taken 
many  dangerous  trips  in  other  parts  of  the 
country,  and  been  well  paid  for  them." 

"  Have  you  ever  been  up  the  Matterhorn  ?  " 
asked  Carl. 

"  Only  once,  my  boy.  It  was  the  most 
fearful  experience  of  my  whole  life.  I  shudder 
when   I   think  of  it.     There  was  a  party  of 


CLIMBING    THE    MATTERHORN. 


The  Marmot  79 

three  gentlemen  besides  another  guide  and  my- 
self. You  know  it  is  the  shape  of  that  moun- 
tain that  makes  it  so  dangerous  to  climb.  It 
reaches  up  toward  the  heavens  like  a  great  icy 
wedge. 

"  Of  course,  we  had  a  long,  stout  rope  to 
pass  from  one  to  another.  It  was  fastened 
around  the  waist  of  each  of  us,  as  soon  as  we 
reached  the  difficult  part.  Our  shoes  had  iron 
spikes  in  the  soles  to  help  us  still  more,  while 
each  one  carried  a  stout,  iron-shod  staff.  The 
other  guide  and  myself  had  hatchets  to  use  in 
cutting  steps  when  we  came  to  a  smooth  slope 
of  ice. 

"  Think  of  it,  as  we  sit  here  in  this  cozy, 
comfortable  room.  There  were  several  times 
that  I  was  lowered  over  a  steep,  ice-covered 
ridge  by  a  rope.  And  while  I  hung  there,  I 
had  to  cut  out  steps  with  my  hatchet. 

"  There  was  many  a  time,  too,  that  only  one 
of  us  dared  to  move  at  a  time.     In  case  the 


80        Our  Little  Swiss  Cousin 

footing  was  not  safe,  the  others  could  pull  him 
back  if  he  made  a  misstep  and  fell." 

"  Did  you  climb  that  dangerous  mountain 
in  one  day  ?  "  asked  Rudolf.  "  I  thought  it 
was  impossible." 

"  You  are  quite  right.  We  went  the  greater 
part  of  the  distance  the  first  day,  and  then 
camped  out  for  the  night.  Early  the  next 
morning  we  rose  to  finish  the  fearful  under- 
taking. And  we  did  succeed,  but  I  would 
never  attempt  it  again  for  all  the  money  in 
the  world." 

"  O,  Fritz,  how  did  you  feel  when  you 
had  reached  the  summit  ?  "  asked  Carl's 
mother. 

"In  the  first  place,  I  was  terribly  cold.  My 
heart  was  beating  so  rapidly  I  could  scarcely 
think.  It  was  not  from  fear,  though.  It  was 
because  the  air  was  so  thin  that  it  made  the 
blood  rush  rapidly  through  the  lungs  to  get 
enough  of  it. 


The  Marmot  81 

"  But  I  can  never  forget  the  sight  that  was 
before  us.  Everything  we  had  ever  known 
seemed  so  little  now,  it  was  so  far  below  us. 
Towns,  lakes,  and  rivers  were  tiny  dots  or 
lines,  while  we  could  look  across  the  summits 
of  other  snow-capped  peaks." 

"  Was  it  easy  coming  down  ?  "  asked  Carl, 
"  that  is,  of  course,  did  it  seem  easy  beside  the 
upward  climb  ?  " 

"  I  believe  the  descent  was  more  terrible,  my 
boy.  It  was  hard  to  keep  from  growing  dizzy, 
and  it  would  have  been  so  easy  to  make  a  false 
step  and  slide  over  some  cliff  and  fall  thou- 
sands of  feet.  I  couldn't  keep  out  of  my 
mind  the  story  of  the  first  party  who  climbed 
to  the  summit  of  the  Matterhorn." 

"  I  do  not  wonder,  my  dear  brother,  the 
whole  world  sorrowed  over  their  fate,"  said 
Carl's  mother.  "  Only  think  of  their  pride  at 
succeeding,  and  then  of  the  horrible  death  of 
four  of  the  party." 


82        Our  Little  Swiss  Cousin 

"  Do  tell  us  about  it ;  I  never  heard  the 
story,"  said  Carl. 

"  A  brave  man  named  Whymper  was  deter- 
mined to  climb  the  mountain,"  answered  his 
father.  "  Every  one  else  had  failed.  He  said 
to  himself:  '  I  will  not  give  up.  I  will  keep 
trying  even  if  the  storms  and  clouds  and 
ice-walls  drive  me  back  again  and  again.' 

"He  kept  on  trying,  but  each  time  with  no 
success.  At  last  Whymper  formed  a  party 
with  three  Englishmen.  They  hired  the 
trustiest  guides  known  in  the  country,  besides 
two  men  to  carry  the  tents  and  provisions. 
After  great  trouble  they  reached  the  summit 
and  planted  a  flag  there  to  tell  the  story  of 
their  coming. 

"  But  on  their  way  down  one  of  the 
Englishmen  slipped.  He  struck  the  guide 
as  he  fell  and  the  two  men  hung  over  the 
precipice.  They  were  fastened  to  the  others 
by   the    rope ;    surely   they   could    be   saved ! 


The  Marmot  83 

But,  alas !  the  rope  broke  under  the  sudden 
weight.  Not  only  those  men,  but  two  others, 
were  swept  down  four  thousand  feet ! 

"  The  others  who  were  left  were  filled  with 
such  horror  they  could  not  move  for  a  long 
while.  Their  skilful  guide  had  been  killed  ; 
could  they  descend  the  mountain  safely  now  ? 
It  looked  impossible ;  they  were  dizzy  and 
faint.  It  seemed  as  though  there  were  only 
one  thing  left :  they  would  have  to  stay  where 
they  were  till  death  should  come. 

"  After  a  while,  however,  their  courage  re- 
turned and  they  succeeded  in  reaching  the 
foot  of  the  mountain  at  last  without  any 
other  accident,  but  with  a  sad  and  fearful 
story  to  tell  of  those  who  started  out  with 
them." 

"  I  should  think  we  would  have  heard  of 
your  climbing  the  Matterhorn,  Fritz,"  said 
Rudolf.  "It  was  a  great  thing  to  do,  and  few 
have  dared  it.     We  are  proud  of  you,  indeed. 


84        Our  Little  Swiss  Cousin 

How  would  you  have  liked  to  be  in  your 
uncle's  place,  Carl  ?  " 

"  I  wish  I  could  have  been  with  him,  father. 
When  1  am  older,  I  hope  I  may  have  a  chance 
to  do  such  daring  deeds.  I'll  be  glad  to  try, 
anyway." 

Carl's  mother  shivered,  as  she  quickly  said : 

"  There  are  other  kinds  of  brave  deeds,  Carl, 
which  I  hope  you  will  be  ever  ready  to  do. 
Speak  the  truth  and  be  an  honest  man  in 
all  things.  That  kind  of  bravery  in  you 
will  satisfy  me.  But  be  willing  for  your 
mother's  sake  to  stay  away  from  icy  moun- 
tain peaks." 

The  loving  woman's  eyes  had  filled  with 
tears.  Carl  ran  to  her  and  put  his  arms 
around  her  neck. 

"  Don't  fret,  my  dear  mother,  I  will  always 
try  to  do  what  you  wish."  And  he  kissed  her 
again  and  again.  As  he  did  so,  he  began 
to  cough. 


The  Marmot  85 

"  I  believe  Carl  has  the  whooping-cough," 
said  his  father.  "He  never  had  it  when  he 
was  little,  and  every  now  and  then  he  gives  a 
regular  whoop." 

"  I  wish  we  had  some  marmot  fat ;  that 
would  cure  him  quickly,"  said  his  mother. 
"  At  any  rate,  it  would  make  him  feel 
better." 

"  I  have  a  bottle  of  the  oil  in  my  satchel," 
said  his  uncle.  "  It  is  good  for  so  many  things, 
I  keep  it  on  hand.  Here,  Carl,  open  the  bag 
and  take  a  dose  at  once.  I  got  it  from  the  fat 
of  the  last  marmot  I  killed." 

"  O,  uncle,  I  never  saw  one  in  my  life. 
I've  heard  so  much  about  marmots,  I  would 
rather  hear  you  tell  about  them  than  take  the 
medicine." 

"  You  may  have  both  the  medicine  and  the 
story,  Carl.  While  we  sit  around  the  stove 
this  evening  you  shall  hear  of  the  fun  I  have 
had  hunting  the  shy  little  creature." 


86      Our  Little  Swiss  Cousin 

Uncle  Fritz  was  certainly  good  company. 
He  helped  Rudolf  and  Carl  in  doing  the 
night's  work  about  the  little  farm  while  the 
supper  was  made  ready.  Two  or  three  of 
the  neighbours  came  in  after  that.  They  had 
heard  of  Fritz's  arrival,  and  wished  to  welcome 
him.  It  was  a  very  pleasant  evening,  for 
Fritz  was  glad  to  see  his  old  friends  and  had 
much  to  tell. 

Before  bedtime  came,  Carl  asked  his  uncle 
to  tell  about  marmot  hunting.  "  You  know 
you  promised  me  before  supper,"  he  said. 

"  What  shall  I  tell  ?  "  laughed  Fritz.  "  You 
all  know,  to  begin  with,  what  a  shy  little  crea- 
ture it  is,  and  how  it  passes  the  winter." 

"  It  lies  asleep  month  after  month,  doesn't 
it  ?  "  asked  Carl.  "  The  schoolmaster  told  us 
so." 

"Yes,  my  dear.  It  lives  high  up  on  the 
mountainsides  and  close  to  the  snow-line. 
Of  course,  the  summer  season  is  very  short 


The  Marmot  87 

there.  All  through  the  long  winter  of  six  or 
eight  months  the  marmot  lies  in  his  burrow 
and  does  not  move.  You  would  hardly  call 
it  sleep,  though.  The  little  creature  scarcely 
breathes ;  if  you  should  see  him  then,  you 
would  think  he  was  dead. 

"  But  as  soon  as  there  is  warmer  weather  he 
begins  to  rouse  himself.  How  thin  he  is  now  ! 
At  the  beginning  of  winter  he  was  quite  fat. 
That  fat  has  in  some  wonderful  way  kept  him 
alive  through  the  long  months." 

"  Does  he  stay  in  this  burrow  all  alone, 
uncle?" 

"  O,  no.  Marmots  live  together  in  fami- 
lies in  the  summer-time,  and  when  the  time 
comes  for  a  long  rest,  a  whole  family  enter  the 
burrow  and  stretch  themselves  out  close  to- 
gether on  the  hay." 

"  Where  does  the  hay  come  from  ?  "  asked 
one  of  the  visitors. 

"  Why,  the  marmots  carry  it  into  the  bur- 


88       Our  Little  Swiss  Cousin 

row  and  line  it  as  carefully  as  birds  prepar: 
their  nests." 

"  I  have  heard,"  said  Rudolf,  "  that  one 
marmot  lies  on  his  back  and  holds  a  bundle 
of  hay  between  his  legs,  while  two  or  three 
others  drag  him  through  the  long  tunnel  into 
the  burrow.  That  is  the  reason  the  hair  is 
worn  off  the  backs  of  so  many  of  them." 

Fritz  held  his  sides  with  laughter. 

"  Did  you  believe  such  a  silly  story  as  that, 
Rudolf?  I  thought  you  knew  more  about  the 
animals  of  our  mountains  than  that,  surely. 

"  When  a  marmot's  back  is  bare,  you  may 
know  it  is  because  the  roof  of  his  burrow  is 
not  high  enough.  His  hair  has  rubbed  off 
against  it  as  he  moved  while  asleep." 

"  How  large  do  the  marmots  grow  ?  "  asked 
Carl.  "  Are  they  pretty  creatures,  uncle ;  and 
are  they  clever  ?  " 

"  They  are  rather  stupid,  it  seems  to  me, 
Carl,  and  they  are  not  as  pretty   as  squirrels. 


The  Marmot  89 

They  are  larger,  however.  The  colour  of 
their  fur  is  a  yellowish-gray.  Their  tails  are 
short,  like  those  of  rabbits.  They  move  about 
in  a  slow,  clumsy  way." 

"  Why  are  they  so  hard  to  catch,  if  that  is 
so  ?  "  said  Carl's  mother. 

"  While  they  are  feeding,  there  is  always 
one  of  them  acting  as  a  guard.  He  stands 
near  the  opening  into  the  burrow,  and  gives 
a  cry  of  alarm  if  he  hears  the  slightest  strange 
sound.  Then  all  the  others  scamper  with  him 
through  the  passageway  into  their  home." 

"  But  can't  the  hunters  easily  dig  it  out  and 
reach  them  ?  "  asked  Carl. 

"  Sometimes  the  tunnel  that  leads  to  the 
burrow  is  many  feet  long.  A  friend  of  mine 
unearthed  one  that  was  actually  thirty  feet 
from  the  outside  opening  of  the  burrow." 

"  How  did  you  manage  to  catch  them  ? 
You  have  killed  quite  a  number,  haven't 
you  ?  "  asked  Rudolf. 


90        Our  Little  Swiss  Cousin 

"Yes,  I  have  been  quite  successful,  and  this 
is  the  way  I  worked :  If  I  found  any  tracks 
or  signs  of  their  burrows,  I  crept  along  very 
softly.  I  kept  looking  ahead  in  all  directions. 
Away  off  in  the  distance,  perhaps,  I  saw  some- 
thing looking  like  a  family  of  marmots  asleep 
in  the  sunshine. 

"  I  crept  nearer  and  nearer.  I  must  not 
make  a  sound  or  I  would  lose  my  chance. 
At  last,  when  I  was  close  upon  them,  I  lifted 
a  stone  and  blocked  the  opening  to  their 
burrow.  Then  I  whistled.  The  poor  little 
things  waked  up  too  late  and  saw  that  their 
way  home  was  cut  off.  They  gave  a  shrill  cry, 
like  a  whistle,  and  fled  together  into  the  nearest 
cranny.  There  they  cowered  while  I  drew 
near  and  pinned  one  of  them  to  the  ground. 
It  was  an  easy  matter  to  end  its  life  after  that. 

"  If  I  wished  to  carry  it  home  alive,  I  seized 
it  by  its  hind  legs  and  dropped  it  into  a  bag ; 
the  poor  little  thing  was  helpless  then." 


The  Marmot  91 

"  You  will  stay  with  us  for  a  while,  won't 
you,  Fritz  ? "  asked  one  of  the  neighbours. 
"  You  have  been  a  long  time  away,  and  have 
been  living  a  rough  and  dangerous  life  as  a 
guide.  It  seems  good,  indeed,  to  see  you 
back  again." 

"  Yes,  I  shall  rest  here  for  a  month  or  so 
with  my  good  sister  and  Rudolf.  Then  I 
must  be  away  among  my  mountains  again. 
I  am  never  so  happy  as  when  I  am  climbing 
some  difficult  slope." 

"  It  is  growing  late,  friends,"  said  one  of  the 
visitors.  "  We  must  bid  you  good  night,  for 
to-morrow  brings  its  work  to  each  of  us." 

"  Good  night,  good  night,  then.  But  let 
us  first  have  a  song  in  memory  of  old  days," 
said  Fritz. 

All  joined  with  a  good-will.  Half  an  hour 
afterward  the  lights  were  out  in  the  little  house 
and  every  one  was  settled  for  a  good  night's 
rest. 


CHAPTER   VII. 

GLACIER    AND    AVALANCHE 

It  was  cold  weather  now.  Some  snow  had 
already  fallen,  and  Carl  had  helped  his  father 
and  mother  in  getting  ready  for  the  long,  cold 
winter. 

Uncle  Fritz  had  been  gone  for  quite  a  while, 
and  the  family  had  settled  down  to  their  old 
quiet  life.  One  evening  Carl  was  sitting  by 
the  big  stove  and  telling  his  mother  about  the 
day's  work  at  school,  when  the  door  opened, 
and  who  should  stand  there  but  Fritz.  Carl 
rushed  into  his  arms,  exclaiming : 

"  I  knew  you  would  come  back,  because 
you  promised,  Uncle  Fritz." 

"  Yes,  but  I  shall  stay  only  a  day  or  two. 

Then  I  must  be  off  again.     There  is  a  little 

92 


Glacier  and  Avalanche         93 

village  up  in  the  mountains  about  twenty  miles 
away.  I  must  go  there  before  the  weather 
grows  any  colder,  for  if  a  big  snow-storm 
should  come  up  it  would  make  hard  walking." 

"  Will  you  go  all  the  way  on  foot,  uncle  ?  " 
asked  Carl.  "  I  do  believe  you  never  ride  in 
a  train  if  you  can  help  it." 

Fritz  laughed.  "  I  must  say  I  enjoy  the 
walking  best.  But,  anyhow,  this  time  my  way 
lies  across  country.  How  would  you  like  to 
go  too  ?  I  have  to  cross  a  glacier  before  I 
get  there.  Did  you  ever  see  a  glacier,  my 
boy  ? " 

"  No,  Uncle  Fritz,  and  I  have  always 
longed  to  do  so.  O,  mother,  may  I  go  ? 
I  will  study  hard  at  school,  and  make  up  all 
the  lessons  I  lose  while  I  am  away." 

"  How  long  will  you  be  gone,  Fritz  ? " 
asked  his  sister. 

"  Not  over  three  days,  if  the  weather  is 
good ;  and  after  that  I  shall  not  stay  in  this 


94       Our  Little  Swiss  Cousin 

part  of  the  country.  I  am  going  to  Geneva, 
so  it  will  be  Carl's  last  chance  for  a  long  time 
to  go  with  me." 

In  this  way  it  came  to  pass  that  Carl  went 
with  his  uncle. 

"  Do  take  good  care  of  him,  Fritz,"  the 
loving  mother  called,  as  the  man  and  boy  left 
the  little  cottage  the  next  morning.  "  You 
know  he  is  my  only  child." 

"  Never  fear,  sister.  I  will  watch  well,  and 
try  to  keep  danger  away,"  Fritz  promised. 

Soon  after  the  two  travellers  had  left  the 
village,  the  way  became  quite  rough.  Fritz 
told  many  stories  of  his  wild  life  as  a  guide, 
and  Carl  was  so  interested  he  had  no  time  to 
think  about  himself. 

After  three  hours  of  hard  walking,  the  two 
travellers  stopped  to  rest  and  eat  the  lunch  of 
bread  and  cheese  Carl's  mother  had  given 
them.  A  long  tramp  was  still  before  them, 
and  the  way  grew  rougher  at  every  step.    The 


"IT    WAS    A    RIVER    OF    SOLID    ICE.'" 


Glacier  and  Avalanche  95 

sun  was  just  setting  when  the  little  mountain 
village  at  last  came  in  sight. 

It  looked,  at  first,  like  a  small  bunch  of 
black  dots  high  up  on  the  steep  slope  before 
them.  But  before  it  could  be  reached,  the 
glacier  must  be  crossed. 

It  was  a  river,  indeed,  but  not  like  most 
other  rivers  in  the  world.  It  was  a  river  of 
solid  ice !  When  it  first  came  in  sight,  it 
seemed  like  a  broad,  smooth  sheet.  Carl  was 
a  little  bit  disappointed.  He  turned  to  his 
uncle,  and  said : 

"  I  don't  see  anything  wonderful  or  danger- 
ous in  a  glacier,  I'm  sure." 

"  Wait  till  you  get  a  little  nearer,"  was  the 
answer.  "  It  is  not  as  easy  to  cross  it  as  it 
at  first  seems." 

"  Why  does  it  stay  a  river  of  ice  all  the 
time,  uncle  ?  I  should  think  it  would  melt 
in  the  summer-time,  and  be  like  other  rivers," 
Carl  went  on. 


96       Our  Little  Swiss   Cousin 

"  High  up  in  the  mountains  the  snow  stays 
all  the  year  round.     You  know  that  ?  " 

"  O,  yes,  Uncle  Fritz." 

"  Very  well,  then.  The  mass  gets  heavier 
and  heavier,  and  much  of  it  is  gradually 
changed  into  ice." 

"  Yes,  I  know  that,  too." 

"  The  great  weight  makes  it  begin  to  slide 
down.  It  comes  very  slowly,  of  course,  —  so 
slowly  that  it  does  not  seem  to  move  at  all. 
But  it  does  move,  and  brings  with  it  rocks 
and  trees  and  whatever  is  in  its  way." 

"  I  see  now  why  it  is  called  a  river  of  ice, 
uncle.  But  it  doesn't  move  as  fast  in  the 
winter  as  in  the  summer,  does  it  ?  " 

"  O,  no,  it  can  hardly  be  said  to  move  at  all 
during  the  coldest  months  of  the  year.  In  the 
summer-time,  however,  it  moves  much  faster 
than  it  seems  to  do.  I  have  been  crossing  a 
glacier  more  than  once  when  I  was  suddenly 
startled    by    a    tremendous    noise.     It   would 


Glacier  and  Avalanche  97 

seem  like  the  roar  of  thunder ;  but  as  the  sky 
was  clear,  it  was  certainly  not  thunder.  It 
was  a  sound  made  by  the  glacier  itself  as  it 
passed  over  uneven  ground.  It  is  very  likely 
that  deep  cracks  opened  in  the  ice  at  the  same 
time,  making  a  noise  like  an  explosion. 

"  But  here  we  are,  my  dear,  on  the  edge  of 
the  ice  river.  Don't  you  think  now  that  it  is 
a  wonderful  sight  ?  " 

"Yes,  indeed.  How  beautiful  the  colour 
is  !  It  is  such  a  lovely  blue.  But  dear  me  ! 
look  at  this  mass  of  rocks  all  along  the  edge. 
The  glacier  is  a  giant,  isn't  it,  to  make  these 
great  stones  prisoners  and  bring  them  along  in 
its  course  ?  They  look  strong  and  ugly,  yet 
they  are  helpless  in  its  clutches.  It  isn't  easy 
walking  over  them,  either,  is  it  ?  " 

After  some  hard  climbing  they  found  them- 
selves on  the  glacier.  It  was  not  smooth,  as 
Carl  had  at  first  thought,  but  was  often  cut 
into  deep  furrows  or  piled  into  rough  masses. 


98        Our  Little  Swiss  Cousin 

"  Look  out,  now,  Carl.  We  must  cross  that 
deep  chasm  ahead  of  us  very  carefully.  It  is 
wider  than  it  looks.      Here  !      Follow  me." 

Fritz  led  the  way  to  a  place  where  the 
chasm  was  narrow  enough  for  him  to  spring 
across  with  the  aid  of  his  mountain  staff. 
Carl  followed,  while  Fritz  reached  over  from 
the  other  side  and  seized  the  boy  as  he  landed. 
Carl  laughed.  He  wasn't  the  least  bit  fright- 
ened. 

"  I  think  you  did  that  because  of  what 
mother  said,  Uncle  Fritz.  You  act  as  though 
I  were  a  child,  but  I  am  very  sure-footed  and 
have  been  in  slippery  places  before." 

"  No  doubt  of  that,  Carl.  You  are  a  brave 
boy,  too.  But  it  is  very  easy  to  make  a  mis- 
step in  such  a  place.  I  shouldn't  like  it  very 
much  if  you  were  down  at  the  bottom  of  that 
chasm  at  this  moment.  It  wouldn't  be  easy 
getting  you  up  again,  even  though  it  is  not 
deep." 


Glacier  and  Avalanche  99 

Here  and  there  the  two  travellers  met 
little  streams  of  water  flowing  along  over  the 
surface.  The  day  had  been  quite  warm  for 
this  time  of  the  year,  the  ice  had  melted  a 
little,  and  the  water  was  running  off  in  these 
streams. 

"  O,  uncle,  look  !  "  cried  Carl,  as  they  came 
near  another  chasm  in  the  glacier.  "Here  is 
another  bridge  of  ice  over  which  we  can  cross. 
How  clear  it  is  ;  it  looks  like  glass." 

By  this  time  the  moon  was  shining  in  all 
her  glory.  "It  is  like  fairy-land,"  said  Carl 
to  himself  as  he  looked  back  at  the  glacier 
which  they  were  just  leaving,  and  then  onward 
to  the  mountain-tops  in  the  distance,  lighted 
up  by  the  soft  yellow  light. 

"  The  mountains  are  God's  true  temples, 
aren't  they  ?  "  said  Fritz,  after  a  few  moments. 
"  But  come,  my  dear,  it  is  getting  late.  We 
must  move  quickly  now,  even  though  we  are 
tired.     The  lights  in  the  village  above  us  are 


ioo      Our  Little  Swiss  Cousin 

calling, f  Hurry,  hurry,  good  people,  before  we 
sleep  for  the  night !  " 

It  had  been  a  long,  hard  day,  but  Carl  had 
enjoyed  every  moment.  That  night  as  he  lay 
in  the  warm  bed  prepared  for  him,  he  thought 
it  all  over  before  he  slept. 

How  kind  these  new  friends  were,  too. 
Although  he  and  his  uncle  had  reached  the 
village  so  late,  a  warm  supper  was  made  ready 
for  them  at  once  and  everything  done  for  their 
comfort.  Why,  the  good  woman  of  the  house 
had  even  taken  a  hot  stone  from  the  hearth 
and  put  it  into  Carl's  bed. 

"  I  want  you  to  sleep  warm,  my  boy,"  she 
said,  as  she  kissed  him  good  night,  "  and  it 
must  be  colder  up  here  than  in  your  own  home 
in  the  valley." 

The  next  day  Carl  had  a  chance  to  look 
around  the  little  village.  You  would  hardly 
call  it  a  village,  either.  There  were  only  six  or 
eight  houses.     Their  roofs  were  weighted  down 


Glacier  and  Avalanche        101 

with  rocks,  like  the  cottage  where  Carl  had 
stayed  through  the  summer.  It  was  the  only 
way  to  be  sure  of  safety,  for  the  winter  winds 
blew  fiercely  here ;  Carl  knew  that.  There 
were  long  months  when  the  cows  must  stay  in 
their  stable,  week  after  week. 

"  But  how  neat  the  barn  is  !  "  exclaimed  the 
boy.  "  It  is  almost  like  a  sitting-room. 
Your  father  has  a  table  and  chairs  here,  as 
though  he  stayed  here  a  good  deal  of  the 
time." 

"  Yes,  father  likes  his  cattle  so  much,  he 
wishes  to  be  with  them  all  he  can,"  answered 
Marie,  who  was  the  only  child  in  the  house 
where  Carl  and  his  uncle  were  staying. 

"  Don't  you  think  our  cows  are  lovely,  and 
did  you  notice  the  big  black  one  in  the  first 
stall  ?  She  is  the  queen  of  the  herd.  Father 
let  me  name  her,  and  so  1  called  her  c  Marie,' 
after  myself." 

"  O,  yes,  I  noticed  her  first  of  all,"  answered 


102      Our  Little  Swiss  Cousin 

Carl.  "  I  should  think  you  would  like  it  here 
better  in  summer  than  in  winter.  Aren't  you 
ever  afraid  of  avalanches,  Marie  ?  " 

"  Yes,  indeed,  Carl.  Sometimes  I  lie  awake 
and  tremble  all  night.  I  can't  help  it. 
That  is  when  the  wind  blows  very  hard  and 
the  house  rocks  to  and  fro.  Then  I  think  of 
the  great  drifts  of  snow  above  us  on  the 
mountain.  What  if  they  should  start  down 
and  come  in  this  direction  !  There  would  be  an 
end  of  us  ;  the  whole  village  would  be  buried. 

fC  Once  last  winter,  I  was  wakened  by  a 
terrible  noise.  I  knew  what  it  was  at  once. 
It  was  an  avalanche.  It  was  coming  this  way 
with  a  sound  like  thunder.  I  ran  into 
mother's  room ;  she  and  father  were  on  their 
knees,  praying.  The  danger  lasted  only  a  few 
minutes  and  then  all  was  still.  But,  do  you 
know,  Carl,  in  the  morning  we  had  sad  news. 

"The  house  of  a  neighbour  had  been  carried 
away.     His  cattle  were  buried  somewhere  in 


Glacier  and  Avalanche        103 

the  great  snowslide  and  were  never  heard  of 
again.  But  he  and  his  family  were  safe 
because  they  happened  to  be  spending  the 
night  with  another  neighbour." 

"  Was  it  a  strong  wind  that  caused  the 
avalanche  that  night  ?  "   asked  Carl. 

"  No,  father  said  that  could  not  have  been 
the  reason.  But  you  know  that  sometimes 
even  the  cracking  of  a  whip  is  enough  to  start 
the  dry  snow  in  the  winter-time.  Then,  as 
it  sweeps  downward  like  a  waterfall,  more  and 
more  is  added  to  it  and  in  a  short  time  it 
becomes  a  snowy  torrent.  O,  it  is  fearful 
then  !  "  and  Marie  pressed  her  hands  together 
in  fright  at  the  very  thought. 

"You  poor  little  girl.  Don't  talk  about  it 
any  more.  I'm  so  sorry  I  said  a  word  about 
avalanches,"  said  Carl.  His  voice  was  very 
gentle,  because  he  felt  so  sorry  for  Marie. 
"  Perhaps  there  won't  be  any  more  coming 
down  this  side  of  the  mountain,"  he  added. 


104      Our  Little  Swiss  Cousin 

"  Then  you  will  be  just  as  safe  as  I  am  in  my 
home  in  the  valley." 

"  Carl,  Carl !  where  are  you?"  The  words 
came  from  the  direction  of  the  house.  It  was 
Carl's  uncle,  who  had  wondered  what  had 
become  of  the  boy.  The  children  came  hurry- 
ing out  of  the  barn. 

"It  is  growing  dark,  my  dear,  and  I  was 
afraid  you  had  wandered  off  somewhere,"  said 
Fritz.  "  I  promised  your  mother  to  look  out 
for  you,  Carl,  so  you  see  I  am  doing  my 
duty.  Come  into  the  house  now.  We  will 
have  a  pleasant  evening  with  our  good  friends. 
Then,  with  morning  light,  we  must  start  on 
our  homeward  way." 

That  night  many  stories  were  told  of  the 
fairies  and  the  gnomes.  It  is  no  wonder  that 
when  Carl  went  to  sleep  he  dreamed  he  was 
living  in  a  cave  with  the  fairies,  and  that  the 
gnomes  brought  him  a  pile  of  gold  heavy  enough 
to  make  him  rich  all  the  rest  of  his  life. 


CHAPTER   VIII. 


SANTA    CLAUS    NIGHT 


It  was  two  weeks  before  Christmas.  Carl 
had  been  back  from  his  visit  to  the  mountain 
village  for  more  than  a  month.  No  harm  had 
come  to  him  on  his  way  home,  although  heavy 
snow  had  fallen,  which  made  hard  walking.  It 
was  worst  of  all  in  crossing  the  glacier,  but  the 
boy's  uncle  took  great  care,  and  no  accident 
came  to  either  of  them. 

And  now  the  joyful  day  had  come  which 
Carl  liked  best  of  all  the  year.  He  had  saved 
up  money  for  months  beforehand  to  buy 
presents  for  his  parents  and  his  friend  Franz. 

What  would  he  receive,  himself?  He 
thought  sometimes,  "  I  wonder  if  father  will 
buy  me  a  rifle.  He  thinks  I  can  shoot  pretty 
105 


106      Our  Little  Swiss  Cousin 

well    now,    I   know   that.      But  a  rifle  of  my 
own  !     That  would  be  too  good  to  be  true." 

It  was  the  custom  of  Carl's  village  to  have 
the  Christmas  tree  on  Saint  Claus's  Day,  two 
weeks  before  the  real  Christmas  Day.  They 
did  not  wait  for  the  time  at  which  we  give  the 
presents.  Christmas  was  a  holiday,  of  course, 
but  it  was  somewhat  like  Sunday ;  everybody 
went  to  church.  There  was  a  sermon,  and 
a  great  deal  of  music. 

Saint  Claus's  Day  was  the  time  for  fun  and 
frolic.  Good  children  looked  forward  to  that 
day  with  gladness ;  but  the  bad  children  !  dear 
me  !  they  trembled  for  fear  they  would  be 
carried  off  to  some  dreadful  place  by  Saint 
Claus's  servant. 

All  the  day  before  Carl  was  greatly  excited. 
He  could  hardly  wait  for  night  to  come,  but  it 
did    come    at    last.       The    supper-table    was. 
scarcely  cleared    before  a  loud    knocking  and 
stamping  of  feet  could  be  heard  outside. 


Santa  Claus  Night  107 

Rudolf  hurried  to  open  the  door,  while  Carl 
clapped  his  hands.  Who  should  enter  but 
a  jolly-looking  old  fellow  with  rosy  cheeks 
and  twinkling  eyes.  He  was  dressed  from 
head  to  foot  in  furs.  Surely  this  was  Santa 
Claus  himself.  There  was  a  great  pack  of 
goodies  on  his  back.  Carl  could  see  the  red 
apples  and  bags  of  candy   sticking  out. 

But  who  was  the  creature  that  followed 
Santa  Claus  ?  His  face  was  black,  his  clothes 
were  black,  everything  about  him  was  black 
as  soot.  He  carried  a  broom  over  his 
shoulder. 

"  This  is  my  servant,"  said  Santa  in  a  big, 
strong  voice.  "  I  hope  the  child  in  this  house 
has  been  good.  I  just  called  at  a  place  where 
there  was  a  boy  who  had  not  minded  his 
mother.  I  was  going  to  let  my  servant  carry 
him  off,  but  he  promised  to  be  good,  so  I  for- 
gave him  this  time."  Santa  Claus  tried  to 
scowl   fiercely  while   he   said   these  words. 


108      Our  Little  Swiss  Cousin 

"Have  you  been  a  good  boy?"  he  cried, 
suddenly  turning  toward  Carl. 

"  O,  yes,  sir,  I  have  tried  hard,"  answered 
the  boy,  who  was  half  afraid,  although,  some- 
how, this  same  Santa  Claus  spoke  very  much 
like  a  friend  of  the  family  who  lived  near  by. 

"  Very  well,  then."  With  this,  Santa  cov- 
ered the  floor  with  nuts  and  fruit  which  he 
shook  out  of  his  pack:.  A  party  of  men  who 
had  followed  him  and  his  servant  into  the 
house,  and  were  dressed  up  in  all  sorts  of 
funny  ways,  laughed  and  joked  with  Carl's 
father  and  mother. 

After  a  few  moments  of  fun,  Santa  Claus 
went  away,  first  wishing  the  boy  and  his  par- 
ents good  night  and  a  merry  day  on  the  mor- 
row. They  had  many  more  calls  to  make 
before  their  work  would  be  done,  and  they 
must  hurry  on  their  way,  they  said. 

When  the  door  was  closed,  Carl  said, 
"  Father,  I  don't  believe  that  is  the  real   Santa 


Santa  Claus  Night  109 

Claus  ;  it  is  neighbour  Hans,  who  has  dressed 
up  like  him.     I  knew  his  voice,  too." 

Carl  danced  around  the  room  laughing, 
while  his  father  and  mother  laughed,  too. 

"  When  I  was  a  little  tot,"  Carl  went  on, 
"  I  used  to  be  scared,  I  tell  you.  I  was  afraid 
of  doing  naughty  things  all  the  year  for  fear 
mother  would  tell  Santa  Claus,  and  his  servant 
would  then  sweep  me  away  with  his  broom. 
Oh,  I  know  better  now."  And  Carl  ran  first 
to  his  father,  and  then  to  his  mother,  and  gave 
each  of  them  a  hearty  kiss. 

The  next  morning,  when  he  came  down- 
stairs, there  was  the  dearest  little  fir-tree  in  the 
corner  of  the  room,  and  under  it  lay  some  mit- 
tens and  stockings,  besides  the  rifle  for  which 
Carl  had  hoped  and  longed. 

"  Santa  Claus  helped  me  get  them,"  said 
Rudolf,  and  they  all  sat  down  to  breakfast 
laughing  at  the  merry  joke. 


CHAPTER   IX. 

THE    WONDERFUL    ABBEY 

It  was  the  beautiful  spring-time,  and  the 
country  had  begun  to  look  green  and  fresh 
again  after  the  long  months  of  snow  and  frost. 

"  Carl,  my  dear,  how  would  you  like  to  go 
on  a  pilgrimage  to  the  Blessed  Abbey  ?  "  asked 
his  father  one  night  as  they  finished  milking 
the  cows.  "  Easter  Sunday  is  almost  here,  and 
the  people  of  the  village  are  talking  of  going 
to  Einsiedeln  together." 

"  O,  father,  that  would   make   me   happier 

than  anything  else  in  the  world.     What  a  fine 

time  we  can  have  !     And  only  to  think  that 

I  can  see  the  place  with  my  own  eyes.     Do 

you  really  mean  it  ?  " 

no 


The  Wonderful  Abbey        in 

<f  Yes,  my  boy,  but  do  you  think  you  can 
walk  so  far  without  getting  tired  out  ?  " 

Carl  laughed.  "  Look  at  me,  father ;  see 
how  I  have  grown  since  last  summer,"  and  the 
boy  stretched  to  make  himself  seem  as  tall  as 
possible. 

"Very  well,  then.  Your  mother  knows 
about  it,  and  is  getting  things  ready  for  the 
journey  now." 

The  next  three  days  Carl  could  think  of 
nothing  else.  He  was  full  of  excitement.  The 
night  before  they  were  to  start,  he  said  to  his 
father : 

"  Please  tell  me  the  story  of  the  Wonderful 
Abbey  again.  I  wish  to  have  the  picture  still 
brighter  in  my  mind  as  we  journey  along  our 
way  to-morrow." 

Rudolf  leaned  back  in  his  chair.  His  face 
was  lighted  by  a  happy  smile  as  he  said : 

"  Carl,  my  dear  child,  I  love  to  think  of  the 
good  souls  who  have  made  this  world  so  beau- 


ii2      Our  Little  Swiss  Cousin 

tiful  by  living  in  it.  Yes,  they  have  made  it 
more  beautiful  than  the  grandest  mountains  or 
the  loveliest  lakes  can  make  it. 

"  One  of  those  good  men  was  the  holy 
Meinrad,  who  lived  over  a  thousand  years  ago. 
He  came  from  Germany  to  teach  the  priests 
at  a  small  convent  on  the  Lake  of  Zurich. 
After  a  while  he  said,  c  I  will  live  the  life  of  a 
hermit  in  a  little  cell  in  the  forest.  I  can  best 
worship  God  if  I  live  alone.' 

"  So  he  went  up  on  the  mountainside  and 
made  a  hut,  where  he  prayed  and  fasted  day 
after  day.  It  is  said  that  the  wild  beasts  felt 
his  goodness,  and  would  do  him  no  harm. 
Whenever  there  was  need,  he  went  out  to  do 
good  deeds  among  men.  People  heard  of  him 
through  all  the  country  round.  They  came 
to  ask  his  advice  when  they  were  in  trouble,  or 
to  seek  help  in  other  ways. 

"  But  one  day  two  robbers  came  to  Meinrad's 
cell.      They  came  with  a  bad  purpose ;  they 


The  Wonderful  Abbey         113 

thought  he  must  have  a  store  of  gold  hidden 
away,  and  they  wished  to  get  it.  The  holy 
man  gave  them  food  and  drink,  but  what  do 
you  think  these  wicked  men  did  in  return  for 
such  kindness  ?  They  cruelly  murdered  him  ! 
Then,  finding  no  money,  they  hurried  away. 

"  Meinrad  had  two  birds  who  kept  him 
company  in  the  lonely  forest.  They  were 
ravens,  and  had  grown  very  tame,  loving 
their  master  dearly. 

"  When  the  murderers  fled,  these  birds 
followed  them  down  the  mountainside,  across 
the  lake,  and  into  the  town.  The  men  stopped 
at  an  inn  for  food  and  rest.  The  birds  flapped 
their  wings  against  the  windows,  and  kept  up 
shrill  cries.  Every  one  in  the  inn  wondered 
what  it  could  mean.  When  this  had  kept 
up  for  several  hours,  the  men  thought,  l  This 
is  a  warning  to  us  from  Heaven.  We  will 
confess  what  we  have  done.' 

"  They  told  the  fearful  story,  and  were  put 


114     Our  Little  Swiss  Cousin 

to  death  by  the  angry  people  who  heard  it. 
Ever  since  that  time  the  place  has  been  called 
the  Ravens'  Inn,  and  two  ravens  were  carved 
out  of  stone  and  placed  upon  the  wall.  When 
we  go  to  Zurich,  Carl,  you  shall  see  those 
stone  ravens,  for  they  are  still  there." 

"  Now,  please  tell  me  about  the  holy  abbey, 
father,"  said  Carl,  "  and  how  it  was  blessed  by 
the  angels." 

"  After  a  while,"  his  father  went  on,  "  the 
priests,  who  had  heard  the  story  of  Meinrad's 
death,  decided  to  build  a  grand  church.  It 
was  to  be  on  the  very  spot  where  Meinrad's 
cell  had  stood  and  he  had  been  murdered.  It 
was  a  beautiful  building.  When  it  was  entirely 
finished,  bishops  and  knights  came  to  conse- 
crate it  to  the  Lord.  People  gathered  from 
far  and  near  to  listen  to  the  service. 

"  Now,  it  was  the  custom  of  the  good 
Bishop  Conrad  to  pray  at  midnight.  On  the 
night  before  the  great  day  of  consecration,  he 


The  Wonderful  Abbey         115 

arose  for  his  usual  prayer,  and,  as  he  did  so, 
was  surprised  to  hear  beautiful  music  in  the 
air  around  him.  He  listened  closely.  Be- 
hold !  it  was  the  chorus  of  angels ;  they  were 
consecrating  the  chapel.  He  bowed  his  head 
in  wonder  and  awe. 

"  The  next  morning,  when  the  people  had 
come  together  for  the  sacred  service,  the 
bishop  waited  in  silence  till  nearly  noon,  and 
then  he  told  the  crowd  of  listeners  what  had 
happened  during  the  night.  There  was  noth- 
ing for  him  to  do  now ;  the  angels  had  already 
made  this  a  holy  place. 

"  But  the  people  would  not,  could  not, 
believe  it.  They  still  pressed  the  bishop  to 
go  on  with  the  service.  At  last,  he  felt  that 
he  could  not  satisfy  them  in  any  other  way, 
so  had  already  begun,  when  a  clear  voice  was 
heard  to  say,  '  Brother,  do  not  go  on ;  for  see, 
it  is  already  consecrated.' 

"  Then  the  people  were  able  to  understand 


n6     Our  Little  Swiss  Cousin 

that  the  bishop  had  spoken  truly,  and  the 
place  was  indeed  a  holy  one  now.  Ever  since 
that  time  good  Catholics  of  France  and  Ger- 
many, as  well  as  from  our  own  country,  make 
pilgrimages  to  the  abbey  of  Einsiedeln.  It  is 
now  a  very  grand  building.  Thousands  and 
thousands  of  dollars  have  been  spent  to  make 
it  beautiful. 

"  And  Carl,  dear,  you  shall  see  there  the 
very  image  of  Jesus  and  Mary  which  the  good 
priest  Meinrad  brought  to  the  place  when  he 
first  sought  his  home  there.  Better  still,  my 
boy,  you  shall  drink  from  the  fountain  from 
which  Jesus  himself  once  drank,  as  I  have 
been  told." 

Carl  listened  closely  to  his  father's  words. 
Others  might  tell  him  afterward  that  this  was 
only  a  legend,  but  he  was  an  earnest  little 
Catholic,  and  believed  that  every  word  of  it 
was  true. 

The    moment    of    starting    came    at    last. 


The  Wonderful  Abbey         117 

Rudolf,  with  his  wife  and  Carl,  was  joined  by 
several  others  of  the  village  people.  Franz  was 
among  them,  together  with  his  parents.  There 
were  many,  many  miles  to  walk,  and  several 
days  must  be  spent  upon  the  way.  The  nights 
were  passed  at  taverns  along  the  roadside. 
As  our  friends  journeyed  onward,  they  were 
joined  by  other  parties,  all  going  in  the  same 
direction,  —  to  the  abbey  blessed  by  the  angels. 

In  one  party  there  was  a  blind  man,  who 
hoped  to  see  again  after  he  had  drunk  from 
the  wonderful  fountain.  In  another,  there  was 
a  person  who  was  lame,  and  who  moved  pain- 
fully along  on  crutches.  He  believed  he 
would  be  able  to  leave  these  crutches  behind 
him  if  he  could  once  reach  the  abbey. 

As  Carl  drew  nearer  and  nearer,  he  could 
see  that  thousands  and  thousands  of  people 
were  all  going  the  same  way.  And  now  as 
they  began  to  climb  the  mountainside,  there 
were  crosses  at  every  turn  in  the  road.      He 


1 1 8      Our  Little  Swiss  Cousin 

never  passed  them  by  without  stopping  to 
kneel  and  pray. 

He  was  a  stout  little  fellow,  as  we  know, 
but  he  was  growing  very  tired  now.  His  feet 
were  quite  sore,  and  there  were  deep  cuts  in 
the  soles.  This  showed  that  he  had  walked 
very  many  miles  over  the  hard  roads.  But 
there  were  many  others  like  him  who  had 
never  travelled  so  far  from  home  before ;  and 
some  of  them  were  old  and  feeble,  too.  He 
would  not  let  his  mother  think  he  was  tired. 
Oh,  no,  not  for  the  world. 

Ah !  the  spires  were  at  last  in  sight,  and 
every  one  hurried  forward. 

It  was  very,  very  beautiful,  Carl  thought, 
when  he  had  passed  through  the  great  door- 
way, and  looked  upon  the  wonderful  sight 
within.  He  had  never  before  seen  anything 
half  so  grand.  The  walls  and  ceilings  were 
richly  gilded,  and  there  were  many  statues  in 
the  nooks  and  corners. 


The  Wonderful  Abbey         119 

But  best  of  all  was  the  precious  image  of 
the  Divine  Child  and  His  mother.  It  was 
only  a  clumsy-looking  little  wooden  figure, 
and  was  black  with  age,  but  it  was  adorned 
with  precious  stones  that  sparkled  brilliantly. 

Before  Carl  entered  the  sacred  building,  he 
first  stopped  at  the  fountain,  and  drank  from 
each  one  of  the  fourteen  spouts.  This  alone 
would  make  his  life  better,  he  thought.  But 
after  he  had  received  a  blessing  from  the  priest 
within  the  church,  and  had  touched  the  marble 
on  which  the  image  of  Jesus  rested,  he  could 
go  away  perfectly  happy. 

There  were  many  small  inns  in  the  village, 
and  you  may  be  sure  that  they  were  well  filled 
at  this  time.  Carl's  family  were  together  with 
their  friends  at  one  of  them,  and  they  had  a 
merry  time.  When  they  were  well  rested, 
however,  Carl's  father  said  to  the  boy : 

"  We  will  take  a  trip  to  Zurich  before  going 
home.     It   is   only   a  few  miles  away,  and   I 


120      Our  Little  Swiss  Cousin 

promised  to  show  you  the  stone  ravens,  you 
know.  An  old  friend  of  mine  lives  right  on 
the  shore  of  the  lake,  and  he  will  be  glad 
to  have  us  lodge  with  him." 

What  a  lively  place  Zurich  seemed  to  the 
little  country  boy.  Every  one  was  so  busy, 
and  there  was  so  much  going  on  all  the  time. 

"  Why  is  it  such  a  busy  place,  father  ?  " 
asked  Carl. 

"  It  is  largely  because  of  the  business  in 
silk,  Carl.  We  do  not  raise  silk  in  Switzer- 
land ;  it  is  too  cold.  But  the  cocoons  are 
brought  here  from  Italy,  and  thousands  of 
people  are  kept  busy  in  spinning,  weaving  and 
dyeing  the  precious  stuff. 

"  The  wife  of  my  good  friend  is  at  her  loom 
every  moment  she  can  spare  from  the  work  of 
her  house.  But  she  tells  me  the  pay  is  very 
poor,  yet  the  rich  man  who  gives  her  the  work 
sells  the  silk  for  great  prices.  Ah !  it  is  hard 
to  be  poor." 


ON    THE    LAKE. 


The  Wonderful  Abbey         121 

Yes,  it  was  true.  Nearly  every  little  home 
around  the  lake  had  its  loom,  and  one  could 
hear  the  whirr  and  the  click  in  the  houses  as 
he  passed  along. 

Carl  took  trips  on  the  pretty  steamboats  on 
the  lake.  They  had  been  built  in  the  city 
and  Rudolf  took  the  boy  to  the  shipyard 
where  others  were  being  made. 

"  All  the  iron  steamers  of  Switzerland  are 
built  here,"  he  said,  "  besides  others  which 
are  sent  to  Italy  and  Austria.  Yes,  it  is  a 
great  and  busy   place." 

"  Our  schoolmaster  told  us  once  that  people 
call  these  lakes  of  ours  c  the  eyes  of  the  earth.' 
Don't  you  think  that  is  a  pretty  idea,  father  ? 
They  are  very  bright  and  clear,  as  they  lie 
walled  in  between  the  mountains. 

"  And,  father,  he  says  that  there  were 
people  living  on  these  lakes  ages  and  ages 
ago.  It  was  before  any  history  was  written, 
even." 


122      Our  Little  Swiss  Cousin 

"  Then  how  do  they  know  that  such  people 
lived  on  the  lakes  ?  "  asked  Rudolf. 

"  Whole  rows  of  piles  have  been  discovered 
under  the  water.  Many  were  found  right 
here  in  Lake  Zurich.  They  must  once  have 
reached  up  much  higher,  but  have  rotted 
away  ! " 

"  Is  that  the  only  proof  that  people  built 
their  houses  out  over  the  water,  Carl  ? " 

"  O,  no,  the  schoolmaster  says  that  many 
tools  have  been  found  in  the  beds  of  earth 
between  the  piles.  They  were  almost  all  of 
stone.  Besides  these,  there  were  things  to  use 
in  housekeeping,  and  nets  for  fishing,  and 
cloth,  and  even  embroidery." 

"  Dear  me  !  I  never  happened  to  hear  of 
these  strange  people  before,"  exclaimed  Ru- 
dolf. "  What  name  did  the  master  give  them, 
Carl  ? " 

"  He  called  them  Lake-dwellers,  because 
they  built  their  houses  out  over  the  water." 


The  Wonderful  Abbey         123 

"Does  he  know  any  more  about  them  and 
why  they  chose  such  queer  places  for  their 
homes  instead  of  the  pretty  valleys  or  moun- 
tainsides ? " 

"  He  said  it  must  have  been  in  a  warlike 
time  and  probably  these  people  felt  safer  to 
dwell  in  this  way.  You  see  they  could  easily 
defend  themselves  in  such  places.  Yet  they 
had  some  farms  and  gardens,  so  they  did  not 
stay  there  all  the  time. 

"  They  had  very  queer  homes.  The  floors 
were  made  of  round  sticks,  laid  side  by  side. 
The  chinks  were  filled  in  with  clay  and  rushes. 
The  roofs  were  made  of  straw  and  rushes  put 
on  in  layers." 

"  How  strange  this  all  is.  I  don't  really 
see  how  so  much  could  be  discovered,"  said 
Rudolf,  half  to  himself.  Then  he  went  on, 
"  I  suppose  they  had  no  cows  or  other  domes- 
tic animals,  of  course." 

"  O,  yes,  they  had,  father."     Carl  was  proud 


124      Our  Little  Swiss  Cousin 

to  think  he  could  tell  his  father  so  many- 
things  about  them.  "  They  had  cattle,  and 
sheep,  and  goats,  and  pigs ;  and  they  kept 
them  in  stalls  in  these  lake  dwellings. 

"  Why,  only  think !  though  it  was  three 
thousand  years  ago,  probably,  these  people 
not  only  fished  and  hunted,  but  they  spun 
flax  and  wove  cloth.  They  made  bread  of 
wheat  and  other  grains  to  eat  with  the  fish 
they  caught  and  the  deer  they  killed.  They 
must  have  known  quite  a  deal  to  do  that,  even 
if  they  didn't  write  books  to  tell  about  them- 
selves.     Don't  you  think  so?" 

"  Yes,  Carl,  I  certainly  think  so.  But  come, 
it  is  getting  late  and  we  must  go  back  to  your 
mother  and  our  friends.  To-morrow  we  shall 
leave  them  and  turn  our  faces  toward  our  own 
little  home.  Are  you  ready  for  the  long 
tramp  ? " 

"  Yes,  my  feet  are  tough  now,  and  I  don't 
believe    they  will   get   so   sore  as  they  did  in 


The  Wonderful  Abbey        125 

coming.  What  a  lovely  time  I  have  had. 
You  are  such  a  good,  kind  father  to  bring  me 
here,  as  well  as  to  the  chapel  of  the  holy 
Meinrad." 

Carl  looked  up  at  Rudolf  with  such  a  happy 
face  that  his  father  bent  down  and  kissed  him. 


THE    END. 


THE  LITTLE  COUSIN  SERIES 

The  most  delightful  and  interesting  accounts  possible  of 
child-life  in  other  lands,  filled  with  quaint  sayings,  doings, 
and  adventures. 

Each  I  vol.,  i2mo,  decorative  cover,  cloth,  with  six  or 
more  full-page  illustrations  in  color. 


Price  per  volume 


$0.60 


By  MARY  HAZELTON    WADE    {unless  otherwise 
indicated") 


Our  Little  African  Cousin 
Our  Little  Armenian  Cousin 
Our  Little  Brown  Cousin 

Our  Little  Canadian  Cousin 

By  Elizabeth  R.  Macdonald 

Our  Little  Chinese  Cousin 

By  Isaac  Taylor  Headland 

Our  Little  Cuban  Cousin 

Our  Little  Dutch  Cousin 

By  Blanche  McManus 

Our  Little  English  Cousin 

By  Blanche  McManus 

Our  Little  Eskimo  Cousin 

Our  Little  French  Cousin 

By  Blanche  McManus 

Our  Little  German  Cousin 

Our  Little  Hawaiian  Cousin 

Our  Little  Indian  Cousin 

Our  Little  Irish  Cousin 

Our  Little  Italian  Cousin 
A— 1 


Our  Little  Japanese  Cousin 
Our  Little  Jewish  Cousin 

Our  Little  Korean  Cousin 

By  H.  Lee  M.  Pike 

Our  Little  Mexican  Cousin 

By  Edward  C.  Butler 

Our  Little  Norwegian  Cousin 

Our  Little  Panama  Cousin 

By  H.  Lee  M.  Pike 

Our  Little  Philippine  Cousin 
Our  Little  Porto  Rican  Cousin 
Our  Little  Russian  Cousin 

Our  Little  Scotch  Cousin 

By  Blanche  McManus 

Our  Little  Siamese  Cousin 

Our  Little  Spanish  Cousin 

By  Mary  F.  Nixon  -  Roulet 

Our  Little  Swedish  Cousin 

By  Claire  M.  Coburn 

Our  Little  Swiss  Cousin 
Our  Little  Turkish  Cousin 


THE  GOLDENROD  LIBRARY 

The  Goldenrod  Library  contains  only  the  highest  and 
purest  literature,  —  stories  which  appeal  alike  both  to  chil- 
dren and  to  their  parents  and  guardians. 

Each  volume  is  well  illustrated  from  drawings  by  compe- 
tent artists,  which,  together  with  their  handsomely  decorated 
uniform  binding,  showing  the  goldenrod,  usually  considered 
the  emblem  of  America,  is  a  feature  of  their  manufacture. 

Each  one  volume,  small  i2mo,  illustrated,  dec- 
orated cover,  paper  wrapper      .         .         .         $0.35 

LIST  OP  TITLES 
Aunt  Nabby's  Children.     By  Frances  Hodges  White. 
Child's  Dream  of  a  Star,  The.     By  Charles  Dickens. 
Flight  Of  Rosy  Dawn,  The.      By  Pauline  Bradford  Mackie 
Findelkind.     By  Ouida. 

Fairy  of  the  Rhone,  The.     By  A.  Comyns  Carr. 
Gatty  and  I.     By  Frances  E.  Crompton. 
Great  Emergency,  A.     By  Juliana  Horatia  Ewing. 
Helena's  Wonderworld.     By  Frances  Hodges  White. 
Jackanapes.     By  Juliana  Horatia  Ewing. 
Jerry's  Reward.     By  Evelyn  Snead  Barnett. 
La  Belle  Nivernaise.     By  Alphonse  Daudet. 
Little  King  Davie.     By  Nellie  Hellis. 
Little  Peterkin  Vandike.     By  Charles  Stuart  Pratt. 
Little  Professor,  The.     By  Ida  Horton  Cash. 
Peggy's  Trial.     By  Mary  Knight  Potter. 
Prince  Yellowtop.     By  Kate  Whiting  Patch. 
Provence  Rose,  A.    By  Ouida. 
Rab  and  His  Friends.     By  Dr.  John  Brown. 
Seventh  Daughter,  A.     By  Grace  Wickham  Curran. 
Sleeping  Beauty,  The.     By  Martha  Baker  Dunn. 
Small,  Small  Child,  A.     By  E.  Livingston  Prescott. 
Story  of  a  Short  Life,  The.     By  Juliana  Horatia  Ewing. 
Susanne.     By  Frances  J.  Delano. 
Water  People,  The.     By  Charles  Lee  Sleight. 
Young  Archer,  The.     By  Charles  E.  Brimblecom. 


COSY  CORNER  SERIES 

It  is  the  intention  of  the  publishers  that  this  series  shall 
contain  only  the  very  highest  and  purest  literature, — 
stories  that  shall  not  only  appeal  to  the  children  them- 
selves, but  be  appreciated  by  all  those  who  feel  with 
them  in  their  joys  and  sorrows. 

The  numerous  illustrations  in  each  book  are  by  well-known 
artists,  and  each  volume  has  a  separate  attractive  cover 
design. 

Each  i  vol.,  i6mo,  cloth $0.50 

By  ANNIE  FELLOWS  JOHNSTON 

The  Little  Colonel.   (Trade  Mark.) 

The  scene  of  this  story  is  laid  in  Kentucky.  Its  heroine 
is  a  small  girl,  who  is  known  as  the  Little  Colonel,  on 
account  of  her  fancied  resemblance  to  an  old-school  South- 
ern gentleman,  whose  fine  estate  and  old  family  are  famous 
in  the  region. 

The  Giant  Scissors. 

This  is  the  story  of  Joyce  and  of  her  adventures  in 
France.  Joyce  is  a  great  friend  of  the  Little  Colonel,  and 
in  later  volumes  shares  with  her  the  delightful  experiences 
of  the  "  House  Party  "  and  the  "  Holidays." 

Two  Little  Knights  of  Kentucky. 

Who  Were  the  Little  Colonel's  Neighbors. 

In  this  volume  the  Little  Colonel  returns  to  us  like  an 
old  friend,  but  with  added  grace  and  charm.  She  is  not, 
however,  the  central  figure  of  the  story,  that  place  being 
taken  by  the  "  two  litde  knights." 

Mildred's  Inheritance. 

A  delightful  little  story  of  a  lonely  English  girl  who 
comes  to  America  and  is  befriended  by  a  sympathetic 
American  family  who  are  attracted  by  her  beautiful  speak- 
ing voice.  By  means  of  this  one  gift  she  is  enabled  to 
help  a  school-girl  who  has  temporarily  lost  the  use  of  her 
eyes,  and  thus  finally  her  life  becomes  a  busy,  happy  one. 

A  — 3 


t.   C.  PAGE  AND   COMPANY'S 


By  ANNIE  FELLOWS  JOHNSTON  {.Continued) 

Cicely  and  Other  Stones  for  Girls. 

The  readers  of  Mrs.  Johnston's  charming  juveniles  will 
be  glad  to  learn  of  the  issue  of  this  volume  for  young 
people. 

Aunt  'Liza's  Hero  and  Other  Stories. 

A  collection  of  six  bright  little  stories,  which  will  appeal 
to  all  boys  and  most  girls. 

Big  Brother. 

A  story  of  two  boys.  The  devotion  and  care  of  Steven, 
himself  a  small  boy,  for  his  baby  brother,  is  the  theme  of 
the  simple  tale.  * 

Ole  Mammy's  Torment. 

"  Ole  Mammy's  Torment "  has  been  fitly  called  "  a  classic 
of  Southern  life."  It  relates  the  haps  and  mishaps  of  a 
small  negro  lad,  and  tells  how  he  was  led  by  love  and  kind- 
ness to  a  knowledge  of  the  right. 

The  Story  of  Dago. 

In  this  story  Mrs.  Johnston  relates  the  story  of  Dago,  a 
pet  monkey,  owned  jointly  by  two  brothers.  Dago  tells 
his  own  story,  and  the  account  of  his  haps  and  mishaps  is 
both  interesting  and  amusing. 

The  Quilt  That  Jack  Built. 

A  pleasant  little  story  of  a  boy's  labor  of  love,  and  how 
it  changed  the  course  of  his  life  many  years  after  it  was 
accomplished. 

Flip's  Islands  of  Providence. 

A  story  of  a  boy's  life  battle,  his  early  defeat,  and  his 
final  triumph,  well  worth  the  reading. 
A—  4 


COSY  CORNER  SERIES 


By  EDITH  ROBINSON 

A  Little  Puritan's  First  Christmas. 

A  story  of  Colonial  times  in  Boston,  telling  how  Christ- 
mas was  invented  by  Betty  Sewall,  a  typical  child  of  the 
Puritans,  aided  by  her  brother  Sam. 

A  Little  Daughter  of  Liberty. 

The  author's  motive  for  this  story  is  well  indicated  by  a 
quotation  from  her  introduction,  as  follows : 

"  One  ride  is  memorable  in  the  early  history  of  the 
American  Revolution,  the  well-known  ride  of  Paul  Revere. 
Equally  deserving  of  commendation  is  another  ride,  —  the 
ride  of  Anthony  Severn,  —  which  was  no  less  historic  in  its 
action  or  memorable  in  its  consequences." 

A  Loyal  Little  Maid. 

A  delightful  and  interesting  story  of  Revolutionary  days, 
in  which  the  child  heroine,  Betsey  Schuyler,  renders  im- 
portant services  to  George  Washington. 

A  Little  Puritan  Rebel. 

This  is  an  historical  tale  of  a  real  girl,  during  the  time 
when  the  gallant  Sir  Harry  Vane  was  governor  of  Massa- 
chusetts. 

A  Little  Puritan  Pioneer. 

The  scene  of  this  story  is  laid  in  the  Puritan  settlement  at 
Charlestown.  The  little  girl  heroine  adds  another  to  the 
list  of  favorites  so  well  known  to  the  young  people. 

A  Little  Puritan  Bound  Girl. 

A  story  of  Boston  in  Puritan  days,  which  is  of  great 
interest  to  youthful  readers. 

A  Little  Puritan  Cavalier. 

The  story  of  a  "  Little  Puritan  Cavalier  "  who  tried  with 
all  his  boyish  enthusiasm  to  emulate  the  spirit  and  ideals  of 
the  dead  Crusaders. 

a— a 


L.  C.  PAGE  AND  COMPANY'S 


By  OUIDA  {Louise  de  la  Ramie) 

A  Dog  Of   Flanders  :  A  Christmas  Story. 
Too  well  and  favorably  known  to  require  description. 

The  Nurnberg  Stove. 

This  beautiful  story  has  never  before  been  published  at 
a  popular  price. 

By  FRANCES  MARGARET  FOX 

The  Little  Giant's  Neighbours. 

A  charming  nature  story  of  a  "  little  giant  "  whose  neigh- 
bours were  the  creatures  of  the  field  and  garden. 

Farmer  Brown  and  the  Birds. 

A   little   story  which  teaches  children  that  the  birds  are 
man's  best  friends. 

Betty  of  Old  Mackinaw. 

A  charming  story  of  child-life,  appealing   especially  to 
the  little  readers  who  like  stories  of  "  real  people." 

Brother  Billy. 

The  story  of  Betty's  brother,  and  some  further  adven- 
tures of  Betty  herself. 

Mother  Nature's  Little  Ones. 

Curious  little  sketches  describing  the  early  lifetime,  or 
"  childhood,"  of  the  little  creatures  out-of-doors. 

How  Christmas    Came  to  the  Mul= 
vaneys. 

A  bright,  lifelike  little  story  of  a  family  of  poor  children, 
with    an    unlimited    capacity  for   fun    and  mischief.     The 
wonderful  never-to-be    forgotten  Christmas    that   came    to 
them  is  the  climax  of  a  series  of  exciting  incidents. 
A  — 6 


COSY  CORNER  SERIES 


By  MISS  MULOCK 

The  Little  Lame  Prince. 

A  delightful  story  of  a  little  boy  who  has  many  adven- 
tures by  means  of  the  magic  gifts  of  his  fairy  godmother. 

Adventures  of  a  Brownie. 

The  story  of  a  household  elf  who  torments  the  cook  and 
gardener,  but  is  a  constant  joy  and  delight  to  the  children 
who  love  and  trust  him. 

His  Little  Mother. 

Miss  Mulock's  short  stories  for  children  are  a  constant 
source  of  delight  to  them,  and  "  His  Little  Mother,"  in  this 
new  and  attractive  dress,  will  be  welcomed  by  hosts  of 
youthful  readers. 

Little  Sunshine's  Holiday. 

An  attractive  story  of  a  summer  outing.  "  Little  Sun- 
shine "  is  another  of  those  beautiful  child-characters  for 
which  Miss  Mulock  is  so  justly  famous. 

By  MARSHALL   SAUNDERS 

For  His  Country. 

A  sweet  and  graceful  story  of  a  little  boy  who  loved  his 
country;  written  with  that  charm  which  has  endeared  Miss 
Saunders  to  hosts  of  readers. 

Nita,  the  Story  of  an  Irish  Setter. 

In  this  touching  little  book,  Miss  Saunders  shows  how 
dear  to  her  heart  are  all  of  God's  dumb  creatures. 

Alpatok,  the  Story  of  an  Eskimo  Dog. 

Alpatok,  an  Eskimo  dog  from  the  far  north,  was  stolen 
from  his  master  and  left  to  starve  in  a  strange  city,  but  was 
befriended  and  cared  for,  until  he  was  able  to  return  to  his 
owner.  Miss  Saunders's  story  is  based  on  truth,  and  the 
pictures  in  the  book  of  "  Alpatok  "  are  based  on  a  photo- 
graph of  the  real  Eskimo  dog  who  had  such  a  strange  ex- 
perience. 

A  —  t 


L.   C.   PAGE  AND   COMPANY'S 


By  WILL  ALLEN  DROMGOOLE 

The  Farrier's  Dog  and  His  Fellow. 

This  story,  written  by  the  gifted  young  Southern  woman, 
will  appeal  to  all  that  is  best  in  the  natures  of  the  many 
admirers  of  her  graceful  and  piquant  style. 

The  Fortunes  of  the  Fellow. 

Those  who  read  and  enjoyed  the  pathos  and  charm  of 
"  The  Farrier's  Dog  and  His  Fellow "  will  welcome  the 
further  account  of  the  adventures  of  Baydaw  and  the  Fel- 
low at  the  home  of  the  kindly  smith. 

The  Best  of  Friends. 

This  continues  the  experiences  of  the  Farrier's  dog  and 
his  Fellow,  written  in  Miss  Dromgoole's  well-known  charm- 
ing style. 

Down  in  Dixie. 

A  fascinating  story  for  boys  and  girls,  of  a  family  of  Ala- 
bama children  who  move  to  Florida  and  grow  up  in  the 
South. 


By  MARIAN  W.   WILDMAN 

Loyalty  Island. 

An  account  of  the  adventures  of  four  children  and  their 
pet  dog  on  an  island,  and  how  they  cleared  their  brother 
from  the  suspicion  of  dishonesty. 

Theodore  and  Theodora. 

This  is  a  story  of  the  exploits  and  mishaps  of  two  mis- 
chievous twins,  and  continues  the  adventures  of  the  interest- 
ing group  of  children  in  "  Loyalty  Island." 
A— 8 


COSY  CORNER  SERIES 


By  CHARLES  G.  D.  ROBERTS 

The  Cruise  of  the  Yacht  Dido. 

The  story  of  two  boys  who  turned  their  yacht  into  a 
fishing  boat  to  earn  money  to  pay  for  a  college  course,  and 
of  their  adventures  while  exploring  in  search  of  hidden 
treasure. 

The  Lord  of  the  Air 

The  Story  of  the  Eagle 

The  King  of  the  Mamozekel 

The  Story  of  the  Moose 

The  Watchers  of  the  Camp=fire 

THE    STORY   OF    THE   PANTHER 

The  Haunter  of  the  Pine  Gloom 

THE    STORY   OF   THE   LYNX 

The  Return  to  the  Trails 

THE    STORY    OF   THE   BEAR 

The  Little  People  of  the  Sycamore 

THE    STORY   OF    THE    RACCOON 

By   OTHER  AUTHORS 

The  Great  Scoop. 

By  MOLLY  ELLIOT  SEA  W ELL 

A  capital  tale  of  newspaper  life  in  a  big  city,  and  of  a 
bright,  enterprising,  likable  youngster  employed  thereon. 

John  Whopper. 

The  late  Bishop  Clark's  popular  story  of  the  boy  who 
fell  through  the  earth  and  came  out  in  China,  with  a  new 
introduction  by  Bishop  Potter. 

A— 9 


L.     C.  PAGE  AND    COMPANY'S 


The  Dole  Twins. 

By  KATE  UPSON  CLARK 

The  adventures  of  two  little  people  who  tried  to  earn 
money  to  buy  crutches  for  a  lame  aunt.  An  excellent 
description  of  child-life  about  1812,  which  will  greatly 
interest  and  amuse  the  children  of  to-day,  whose  life  is 
widelj  different. 

Larry  Hudson's  Ambition. 

By  JAMES  OTIS,  author  of  "Toby  Tyler,"  etc. 

Larry  Hudson  is  a  typical  American  boy,  whose  hard 
work  and  enterprise  gain  him  his  ambition,  —  an  education 
and  a  start  in  the  world. 

The  Little  Christmas  Shoe. 

By  JANE  P.  SCOTT  WOODRUFF 
A  touching  story  of  Yule-tide. 

Wee  Dorothy. 

By  LAURA   UPDEGRAFF 

A  story  of  two  orphan  children,  the  tender  devotion  of 
the  eldest,  a  boy,  for  his  sister  being  its  theme  and  setting. 
With  a  bit  of  sadness  at  the  beginning,  the  story  is  other- 
wise bright  and  sunny,  and  altogether  wholesome  in  every 
way. 

The  King  of  the  Golden  River:  a  legend 

of  Stiria.     By  JOHN  RUSK  IN 

Written  fifty  years  or  more  ago,  and  not  originally  in- 
tended for  publication,  this  little  fairy-tale  soon  became 
known  and  made  a  place  for  itself. 

A  Child's  Garden  of  Verses. 

By  R.  L.  STEVENSON 

Mr.  Stevenson's  little  volume  is  too  well  known  to  need 
description.     It  will  be  heartily  welcomed  in  this  new  and 
attractive  edition. 
A— 10 


BOOKS  FOR  YOUNG  PEOPLE 
THE  LITTLE  COLONEL  BOOKS 

(Trade  Mark) 

By  ANNIE  FELLOWS  JOHNSTON 
Each,  i  vol.  large,  i2mo,  cloth  decorative,  per  vol. .     $1.50 

The  Little  Colonel  Stories. 

(Trade  Mark) 

Illustrated. 

Being  three  "  Little  Colonel "  stories  in  the  Cosy  Corner 
Series,  "  The  Little  Colonel,"  "  Two  Little  Knights  of  Ken- 
tucky," and  "  The  Giant  Scissors,"  put  into  a  single  volume. 

The  Little  Colonel's  House  Party. 

(Trade  Mark) 

Illustrated  by  Louis  Meynell. 

The  Little  Colonel's  Holidays. 

(Trade  Mark) 

Illustrated  by  L.  J.  Bridgman. 

The  Little  Colonel's  Hero. 

(Trade  Mark) 

Illustrated  by  E.  B.  Barry. 

The  Little  Colonel  at  Boarding  School. 

(Trade  Mark) 

Illustrated  by  E.  B.  Barry. 

The  Little  Colonel  in  Arizona. 

(Trade  Mark) 

Illustrated  by  E.  B.  Barry. 

The  Little  Colonel's  Christmas  Vaca= 

(Trade  Mark) 

tion. 

Illustrated  by  E.  B.  Barry. 

The  Little  Colonel,  Maid  of  Honour. 

(Trade  Mark) 

Illustrated  by  E.  B.  Barry. 

Since  the  time  of  "  Little  Women,"  no  juvenile  heroine 
has  been  better  beloved   of  her  child  readers  than   Mrs. 
Johnston's  "  Little  Colonel." 
A— 11 


L.    C.  PAGE   AND    COMPANY'S 


The  Little  Colonel. 

(Trade-Mark) 

Two  Little  Knights  of  Kentucky. 
The  Giant  Scissors. 

A    Special    Holiday  Edition   of    Mrs.   Johnston's   most 

famous  books. 

Each  one  volume,  cloth  decorative,  small  quarto,     $1.25 
New  plates,  handsomely  illustrated,  with  eight  full-page 

drawings  in  color. 

"  There  are  no  brighter  or  better  stories  for  boys  and  girls  than 
these." — Chicago  Record- Herald. 

"  The  books  are  as  satisfactory  to  the  small  girls,  who  find 
them  adorable,  as  for  the  mothers  and  librarians,  who  delight  in 
their  influence." — Christian  Register. 

These  three  volumes,  boxed  as  a  three-volume  set  to  com- 
plete the  library  editions  of  The  Little  Colonel  books,  $3.75 

In  the  Desert  of  Waiting :    the  legend  of 

Camelback  Mountain. 

The  Three  Weavers :    a  fairy  tale  for 

Fathers   and   Mothers  as  Well   as    for   Their 
Daughters. 

Keeping  Tryst. 

Each  one  volume,  tall  i6mo,  cloth  decorative       .     $0.50 
Paper  boards        .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .35 

There  has  been  a  constant  demand  for  publication  in 
separate  form  of  these  three  stories,  which  were  originally 
included  in  three  of  the  "  Little  Colonel "  books,  and  the 
present  editions,  which  are  very  charmingly  gotten  up,  will 
be  delightful  and  valued  gift-books  for  both  old  and  young. 

Joel:  A  Boy  of  Galilee.    By  Annie  fellows 

Johnston.     Illustrated  by  L,  J.  Bridgman. 

New  illustrated  edition,  uniform  with  the  Little  Colonel 
Books,  1  vol.,  large  i2mo,  cloth  decorative       .     #1.50 

A  story  of  the  time  of  Christ,  which  is  one  of  the  author's 
best-known  books,  and  which  has  been  translated  into  many 
languages,  the  last  being  Italian. 
A— 1» 


BOOKS  FOR    YOUNG  PEOPLE 


Asa  Holmes;  or,  At  the  Cross -Roads,  a 
sketch  of  Country  Life  and  Country  Humor.  By  Annie 
Fellows  Johnston.  With  a  frontispiece  by  Ernest 
Fosbery. 

Large  i6mo,  cloth,  gilt  top  .....    $1.00 

" '  Asa  Holmes ;  or,  At  the  Cross- Roads  '  is  the  most  delight- 
ful, most  sympathetic  and  wholesome  book  that  has  been  pub- 
lished in  a  long  while.  The  lovable,  cheerful,  touching  incidents, 
the  descriptions  of  persons  and  things,  are  wonderfully  true  to 
nature." — Boston  Times. 

The  Rival  Campers ;  or,  the  adventures 

of  Henry  Burns.     By  Ruel  P.  Smith. 

Square    i2mo,    cloth   decorative,    illustrated   by   A.    B. 
Shute       ........     $1.50 

Here  is  a  book  which  will  grip  and  enthuse  every  boy 
reader.  It  is  the  story  of  a  party  of  typical  American  lads, 
courageous,  alert,  and  athletic,  who  spend  a  summer  camp- 
ing on  an  island  off  the  Maine  coast. 

"  The  best  boys'  book  since  '  Tom  Sawyer.'  "  —  San  Francisco 
Examiner. 

"  Henry  Burns,  the  hero,  is  the  '  Tom  Brown '  of  America."  — 
N.  Y.  Sun. 

The  Rival  Campers  Afloat;  or,  the  prize 

Yacht  Viking.     By  Ruel  P.  Smith,  author  of  "  The 
Rival  Campers." 

Square  i2mo,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated    .         .     $1.50 

This  book  is  a  continuation  of  the  adventures  of  "  The 
Rival  Campers "  on  their  prize  yacht  Viking.  Every 
reader  will  be  enthusiastic  over  the  adventures  of  Henry 
Burns  and  his  friends  on  their  sailing  trip.  They  have  a 
splendid  time,  fishing,  racing,  and  sailing,  until  an  acci- 
dental collision  results  in  a  series  of  exciting  adventures, 
culminating  in  a  mysterious  chase,  the  loss  of  their  prize 
yacht,  and  its  recapture  by  means  of  their  old  yacht,  Stir- 
prise,  which  they  raise  from  its  watery  grave. 

A— 13 


L.    C.   PAGE   AND    COMPANY'S 


The    Young  Section=hand ;  or,  the  ad- 
ventures of  Allan  West.     By  Burton  E.  Steven- 

p    SON,  author  of  "  The  Marathon  Mystery,"  etc. 

i2mo,  cloth,  illustrated  by  L.  J.  Bridgman  .         .     $1.50 

Mr.  Stevenson's  hero  is  a  manly  lad  of  sixteen,  who  is 
given  a  chance  as  a  section-hand  on  a  big  Western  rail- 
road, and  whose  experiences  are  as  real  as  they  are  thrill- 
ing. 

"  It  appeals  to  every  boy  of  enterprising  spirit,  and  at  the 
same  time  teaches  him  some  valuable  lessons  in  honor,  pluck, 
and  perseverance."  —  Cleveland  Plain  Dealer. 


The  Young  Train  Despatches  By  bur- 
ton E.  Stevenson,  author  of  "  The  Young  Section- 
hand,"  etc. 

Square  i2mo,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated    .         .     $1.50 

A  new  volume  in  the  "  Railroad  Series,"  in  which  the 
young  section-hand  is  promoted  to  a  train  despatcher. 
Another  branch  of  railroading  is  presented,  in  which  the 
young  hero  has  many  chances  to  prove  his  manliness  and 
courage  in  the  exciting  adventures  which  befall  him  in  the 
discharge  of  his  duty. 


Jack  Lorimer.    By  Winn  standish. 

Square    i2mo,    cloth    decorative.     Illustrated  by  A.  B. 
Shute $1.50 

Jack  Lorimer,  whose  adventures  have  for  some  time 
been  one  of  the  leading  features  of  the  Boston  Sunday 
Herald,  is  the  popular  favorite  of  fiction  with  the  boys  and 
girls  of  New  England,  and,  now  that  Mr.  Standish  has 
made  him  the  hero  of  his  book,  he  will  soon  be  a  favorite 
throughout  the  country. 

Jack  is   a  fine  example  of  the  all-around  American  high- 
school  boy.     He  has  the  sturdy  qualities  boys  admire,  and 
his  fondness  for  clean,  honest  sport  of  all  kinds  will  strike 
a  chord  of  sympathy  among  athletic  youths. 
A— 14 


BOOKS  FOR    YOUNG   PEOPLE 


The  Roses  of  Saint  Elizabeth.   byJane 

Scott   Woodruff,  author   of  "  The    Little  Christmas 

Shoe." 

Small  quarto,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated  and  decorated 
in  color  by  Adelaide  Everhart .         .         .         .     $1.00 

This  is  a  charming  little  story  of  a  child  whose  father 
was  caretaker  of  the  great  castle  of  the  Wartburg,  where 
Saint  Elizabeth  once  had  her  home,  with  a  fairy-tale  inter- 
woven, in  which  the  roses  and  the  ivy  in  the  castle  yard 
tell  to  the  child  and  her  playmate  quaint  old  legends  of  the 
saint  and  the  castle. 

Gabriel  and  the  Hour  Book.    b>  evaleen 

Stein. 

Small  quarto,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated  and  decorated 
in  colors  by  Adelaide  Everhart         .         .         .     $1.00 

Gabriel  was  a  loving,  patient,  little  French  lad,  who  as- 
sisted the  monks  in  the  long  ago  days,  when  all  the  books 
were  written  and  illuminated  by  hand,  in  the  monasteries. 
It  is  a  dear  little  story,  and  will  appeal  to  every  child 
who  is  fortunate  enough  to  read  it. 

The  Enchanted  Automobile.    Translated 

from  the  French  by  Mary  J.  Safford. 

Small  quarto,  cloth  decorative,  illustrated  and  decorated 
in  colors  by  Edna  M.  Sawyer        .         .         .         $1.00 

The  enchanted  automobile  was  sent  by  the  fairy  god- 
mother of  a  lazy,  discontented  little  prince  and  princess  to 
take  them  to  fairyland,  where  they  might  visit  their  old 
story-book  favorites. 

Here  they  find  that  Sleeping  Beauty  has  become  a  fa- 
mously busy  queen  ;  Princess  Charming  keeps  a  jewelry  shop, 
where  she  sells  the  jewels  that  drop  from  her  lips ;  Hop-o'- 
My-Thumb  is  a  farmer,  too  busy  even  to  see  the  children, 
and  Little  Red  Riding  Hood  has  trained  the  wolf  into  a 
trick  animal,  who  performs  in  the  city  squares  for  his 
mistress. 

They  learn  the  lesson  that  happy  people  are  the  busy 
people,  and  they  return  home  cured  of  their  discontent  and 
laziness. 
A— 16 


L.    C.   PAGE   AND    COMPANY 


Beautiful  Joe's  Paradise;   or,  the  island 

of  Brotherly  Love.  A  sequel  to  "  Beautiful  Joe." 
By  Marshall  Saunders,  author  of  "  Beautiful  Joe," 
"  For  His  Country,"  etc.  With  fifteen  full-page  plates 
and  many  decorations  from  drawings  by  Charles  Liv- 
ingston Bull. 
One  vol.,  library  i2ino,  cloth  decorative        .         .     $1.50 

"  Will  be  immensely  enjoyed  by  the  boys  and  girls  who  read 
it."  —  Pittsburg  Gazette. 

"  Miss  Saunders  has  put  life,  humor,  action,  and  tenderness 
into  her  story.  The  book  deserves  to  be  a  favorite."  —  Chicago 
Record-Herald. 

"  This  book  revives  the  spirit  of  '  Beautiful  Joe '  capitally. 
It  is  fairly  riotous  with  fun,  and  as  a  whole  is  about  as  unusual  as 
anything  in  the  animal  book  line  that  has  seen  the  light.  It  is  a 
book  for  juveniles  —  old  and  young." — Philadelphia  Item. 

'Tilda  Jane.      By  Marshall  Saunders,  author  of 
"  Beautiful  Joe,"  etc. 
One  vol.,  i2mo,  fully  illustrated,  cloth,  decorative  cover, 

$1.50 

"  No  more  amusing  and  attractive  child's  story  has  appeared 
for  a  long  time  than  this  quaint  and  curious  recital  of  the  adven- 
tures of  that  pitiful  and  charming  little  runaway. 

"  It  is  one  of  those  exquisitely  simple  and  truthful  books  that 
win  and  charm  the  reader,  and  I  did  not  put  it  down  until  I 
had  finished  it  —  honest!  And  I  am  sure  that  every  one,  youn& 
or  old,  who  reads  will  be  proud  and  happy  to  make  the  acquaint 
ance  of  the  delicious  waif. 

"  I  cannot  think  of  any  better  book  for  children  than  this.  I 
commend  it  unreservedly."  —  Cyrus  Townsend  Brady. 

The  Story  of  the  Graveleys.    By  mar- 
shall  Saunders,  author  of  "  Beautiful  Joe's  Paradise," 
"  'Tilda  Jane,"  etc. 
Library    i2mo,    cloth    decorative,    illustrated    by    E.    B. 

Barry $1.50 

Here  we  have  the  haps  and  mishaps,  the  trials  and 
triumphs,  of  a  delightful  New  England  family,  of  whose 
devotion  and  sturdiness  it  will  do  the  reader  good  to  hear. 
From  the  kindly,  serene-souled  grandmother  to  the  buoyant 
madcap,  Berty,  these  Graveleys  are  folk  of  fibre  and  blood 
—  genuine  human  beings. 

A—  16 


THE  LIBRARY  OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINA 

AT  CHAPEL  HILL 


PRESENTED  BY 

Elizabeth  Preston  Ward 

±11  memory  of 
Jean  Versfelt  Preston 


SCHOOL  OF  INFORMATION 
AND  LIBRARY  SCIENCE 

THE  LIBRARY  OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINA 

AT  CHAPEL  HILL 


ENDOWED  BY  THE 

DIALECTIC  AND  PHILANTHROPIC 

SOCIETIES 


